PRINCIPLES OF CONSTRUCTION OF A MULTIPORT ASSOCIATIVE MEMORY FROM QUANTUM-ELECTRONICS COMPONENTS

The principles of construction are proposed, the feasibility of implem entation is considered, and the main parameters are estimated of an op toelectronic multiport associative memory which allows M users to carr y out simultaneously and independently a parallel associative search f or keys and selection of data associated with these keys from a shared memory with the capacity of N words. It is also possible to carry out addressed writing of keys and data through M ports. It is proposed th at the main base components of such a memory should be arrays of verti cal-cavity surface-emitting lasers, optical threshold inverters and ph otodetectors, and memory arrays based on hybrid memory boards with ele ctrically controlled optical pixels, in combination with spherical fre e-space optics and electronic control circuits.