Intel® High Level Synthesis Compiler Pro Edition: Best Practices Guide

ID 683152
Date 12/13/2021
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9.2. Avoid Negative Bit Shifts When Using the ac_int Datatype

The ac_int datatype differs from other languages, including C and Verilog, in bit shifting. By default, if the shift amount is of a signed datatype ac_int allows negative shifts.

In hardware, this negative shift results in the implementation of both a left shifter and a right shifter. The following code example shows a shift amount that is a signed datatype.

int14 shift_left(int14 a, int14 b) {
    return (a << b);
} 

If you know that the shift is always in one direction, to implement an efficient shift operator, declare the shift amount as an unsigned datatype as follows:

int14 efficient_left_only_shift(int14 a, uint14 b) {
    return (a << b);
}