If an immediate is only used in an AND node, it is possible that the immediate can be more optimally materialized when negated. If this is the case, we can negate the immediate and use a BIC instead;
int i(int a) { return a & 0xfffffeec; } Used to produce: ldr r1, [CONSTPOOL] ands r0, r1 CONSTPOOL: 0xfffffeec And now produces: movs r1, #255 adds r1, #20 ; Less costly immediate generation bics r0, r1
If the constant ends up as an immediate, why limit it to only having one use?