Delivering immediate values by using program counter (PC)-relative load instructions to fetch literal data in processor-based devices

A method for delivering immediate values by using program counter (PC)-relative load instructions to fetch literal data, comprising:

• detecting, by a literal data access logic circuit of a processing element (PE) of a processor-based device, a literal pool within an instruction stream by:
• detecting an unconditional PC-relative branch instruction in the instruction stream;
• and
• responsive to detecting the unconditional PC-relative branch instruction in the instruction stream, storing data related to a size and an address of the literal pool in a branch target buffer entry of a plurality of branch target buffer entries of a branch target buffer, the branch target buffer entry corresponding to the unconditional PC-relative branch instruction;
• fetching the literal pool based on the data related to the size and the address of the literal pool stored in the branch target buffer entry of the plurality of branch target buffer entries corresponding to the unconditional PC-relative branch instruction;
• storing the literal pool within a literal pool buffer of the PE by being configured to store data between the unconditional PC-relative branch instruction and a target instruction as the literal pool within the literal pool buffer;
• detecting, by the literal data access logic circuit, a PC-relative load instruction within a fetch window comprising a plurality of instructions of the instruction stream;
• determining that the literal data corresponding to the PC-relative load instruction is stored in the literal pool buffer;
• and
• responsive to determining that the literal data corresponding to the PC-relative load instruction is stored in the literal pool buffer:
• retrieving, within the instruction processing portion of the execution pipeline circuit by the literal data access logic circuit, the literal data from the literal pool buffer;
• and
• executing the PC-relative load instruction using the literal data as an immediate value to be loaded.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

• detect a literal pool within an instruction stream by causing the processor to:
• detect an unconditional PC-relative branch instruction in the instruction stream;
• and
• responsive to detecting the unconditional PC-relative branch instruction in the instruction stream, store data related to a size and an address of the literal pool in a branch target buffer entry of a plurality of branch target buffer entries of a branch target buffer, the branch target buffer entry corresponding to the unconditional PC-relative branch instruction;
• fetch the literal pool based on the data related to the size and the address of the literal pool stored in the branch target buffer entry of the plurality of branch target buffer entries corresponding to the unconditional PC-relative branch instruction;
• store the literal pool within a literal pool buffer by causing the processor to store data between the unconditional PC-relative branch instruction and a target instruction as the literal pool within the literal pool buffer;
• detect a program counter (PC)-relative load instruction within a fetch window comprising a plurality of instructions of the instruction stream;
• determine that literal data corresponding to the PC-relative load instruction is stored in the literal pool buffer;
• and
• responsive to determining that the literal data corresponding to the PC-relative load instruction is stored in the literal pool buffer:
• retrieve, within the instruction processing portion of the execution pipeline circuit by a literal data access logic circuit, the literal data from the literal pool buffer;
• and
• execute the PC-relative load instruction using the literal data as an immediate value to be loaded.