A FLEXIBLE SEARCH MANAGING CIRCUITRY FOR HIGH-DENSITY DYNAMIC CAMS

New circuit techniques were proposed to realize a high-density and hig h-performance content addressable memory (CAM). A dynamic register whi ch functions as a status flag, and some logic circuits are organically combined and flexibly perform complex search operations, despite the compact layout area. Any kind of logic operations for the search resul ts, that are AND, OR, INVERT, and the combinations of them, can be imp lemented in every word simultaneously. These circuits are implemented in an experimental 288 kbit dynamic CAM using 0.8 mum CMOS process tec hnology. We consider these techniques to be indispensable for high-den sity and high-performance dynamic CAM.