DELIVERING IMMEDIATE VALUES BY USING PROGRAM COUNTER (PC)-RELATIVE LOAD INSTRUCTIONS TO FETCH LITERAL DATA IN PROCESSOR-BASED DEVICES

Delivering immediate values by using program counter (PC)-relative load instructions to fetch literal data in processor-based devices is disclosed. In this regard, a processing element (PE) of a processor-based device provides an execution pipeline circuit that comprises an instruction processing portion and a data access portion. Using a literal data access logic circuit, the PE detects a PC-relative load instruction within a fetch window that includes multiple fetched instructions. The PE determines that the PC-relative load instruction can be serviced using literal data that is available to the instruction processing portion of the execution pipeline circuit (e.g., located within the fetch window containing the PC-relative load instruction, or stored in a literal pool buffer), The PE then retrieves the literal data within the instruction processing portion of the execution pipeline circuit, and executes the PC-relative load instruction using the literal data.