Associative memory using a serial-to-parallel mixed search

摘要

Serial and parallel content addressable memory (CAM) comprises a parallel CAM cells and serial CAM cells arranged in rows and a plurality of columns and a plurality (N) of the (M). A series CAM one cell, each row, and a parallel CAM cell of at least two. M rows are retrieved in parallel. In each row, series CAM cells are searched in order, parallel CAM cells are searched in parallel selective. CAM includes a driver for generating a search line which is a search line of one column per CAM cell for the N columns. The driver sets the search line in the N to represent an N-bit value to be searched for in the CAM. Prior to each search operation, to precharge the match line for each row, the driver, the preset search line for at least one of the series for the CAM cells of at least one row.