How can I encode four 16 bit uints into a 64 bit uint, and decode them again? - c

Question

I wrote this function with the help of this page on bit twiddling:
uint16_t *decode(uint64_t instr) {
// decode instr (this is new to me lol)
uint16_t icode = (instr >> 48) & ((1 << 16) - 1);
uint16_t p1 = (instr >> 32) & ((1 << 16) - 1);
uint16_t p2 = (instr >> 16) & ((1 << 16) - 1);
uint16_t p3 = (instr >> 00) & ((1 << 16) - 1);
return (uint16_t[]){icode, p1, p2, p3};
}
I have this to test it:
uint16_t *arr = decode(number);
for(int i = 0; i < 4; i++) {
printf("%d\n", arr[i]);
}
However, this prints 0 four times whatever number is. I also haven't solved the first part of the question, how to encode the four uint16_t's in the first place.

Answer 1

how to encode the four uint16_t's in the first place
This isn't hard. All you have to do is to load each uint16_t to a uint64_t one-by-one, and then return that uint64_t:
uint64_t encode(uint16_t uints[]) {
uint64_t master = 0;
for (uint8_t index = 0; index <= 3; ++index) {
master <<= 16; // Shift master left by 16 bits to create space for the next uint16
master |= uints[index]; // Load uints[index] to the lower 16 bits of master
} // Do this four times
return master;
}
To load the uint16_ts in reverse order, simply replace uint8_t index = 0; index <= 3; ++index with uint8_t index = 3; index >= 0; --index.

Answer 2

Your best bet is actually to use memcpy. Most modern compilers will optimize this into the necessary bit shifts and such for you.
uint64_t pack(const uint16_t arr[static 4]) {
uint64_t res;
memcpy(&res, arr, 8);
return res;
}
void unpack(uint64_t v, uint16_t arr[static 4]) {
memcpy(arr, &v, 8);
}
Note that the result is endian-dependent, appropriate for packing and unpacking on the same machine. Note too that I'm using the static array specifier to check that the caller passes at least 4 elements (when such checking is possible); if that gives your compiler grief, just remove the static specifier.

Answer 3

First, you can't pass an array back from a function the way you currently have it (which is why you're getting 0's), you'll need to pass it via pointer or static reference.
However, since you're dealing with 2 known bit-widths, you can use a mask and shift off that:
out[0] = val & 0x000000000000FFFF; // 1st word
out[1] = (val & 0x00000000FFFF0000) >> 16; // 2nd word
out[2] = (val & 0x0000FFFF00000000) >> 32; // 3rd word
out[3] = (val & 0xFFFF000000000000) >> 48; // 4th word
You could put this in a function or macro:
#define MACRO_DECODE(val, arr) arr[0]= val & 0x000000000000FFFF; \
arr[1] = (val & 0x00000000FFFF0000) >> 16; \
arr[2] = (val & 0x0000FFFF00000000) >> 32; \
arr[3] = (val & 0xFFFF000000000000) >> 48;
void decode(uint64_t val, uint16_t *out)
{
out[0] = val & 0x000000000000FFFF;
out[1] = (val & 0x00000000FFFF0000) >> 16;
out[2] = (val & 0x0000FFFF00000000) >> 32;
out[3] = (val & 0xFFFF000000000000) >> 48;
}
int main(int argc, char** argv)
{
int i;
uint16_t arr[] = { 0, 0, 0, 0} ;
for (i = 0; i < 4; ++i) {
printf("%#06x = %d\n", arr[i], arr[i]);
}
// as a function
decode(0xAAAABBBBCCCCDDDD, arr);
for (i = 0; i < 4; ++i) {
printf("%#06x = %d\n", arr[i], arr[i]);
}
// as a macro
MACRO_DECODE(0xDDDDCCCCBBBBAAAA, arr);
for (i = 0; i < 4; ++i) {
printf("%#06x = %d\n", arr[i], arr[i]);
}
return 0;
}
Additionally, you could use memcpy:
int main(int argc, char** argv)
{
int i;
uint16_t arr[] = { 0, 0, 0, 0} ;
uint64_t src = 0xAAAABBBBCCCCDDDD;
for (i = 0; i < 4; ++i) {
printf("%#06x = %d\n", arr[i], arr[i]);
}
// memcpy
memcpy(arr, &src, sizeof(arr));
for (i = 0; i < 4; ++i) {
printf("%#06x = %d\n", arr[i], arr[i]);
}
return 0;
}
Hope that can help.