Content addressable memory with configurable class-based storage partition
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A content addressable memory (CAM) device comprising:
- a plurality of CAM blocks each having an array of CAM cells to store data words having a width determined according to a configuration value; and
a block select circuit having an input to receive a class code and circuitry to output a plurality of select signals to the plurality of CAM blocks, each select signal to selectively disable a respective one of the plurality of CAM blocks from participating in a compare operation according to the class code.
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Abstract
A content addressable memory (CAM) device having a plurality of CAM blocks and a block selection circuit. Each of the CAM blocks includes an array of CAM cells to store data words having a width determined according to a configuration value. The block selection circuit includes an input to receive a class code and circuitry to output a plurality of select signals to the plurality of CAM blocks. Each of the select signals selectively disables a respective one of the plurality of CAM blocks from participating in a compare operation according to whether the class code matches a class assignment of the CAM block.
84 Citations
82 Claims
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1. A content addressable memory (CAM) device comprising:
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a plurality of CAM blocks each having an array of CAM cells to store data words having a width determined according to a configuration value; and
a block select circuit having an input to receive a class code and circuitry to output a plurality of select signals to the plurality of CAM blocks, each select signal to selectively disable a respective one of the plurality of CAM blocks from participating in a compare operation according to the class code. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of operation within a content addressable memory (CAM) device:
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receiving a class code;
comparing the class code to each of a plurality of block configuration values, each block configuration value indicating a width and depth configuration of a corresponding one of a plurality of storage blocks within the CAM device; and
disabling each of the plurality of storage blocks for which the corresponding configuration value does not match the class code from participating in a compare operation. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of controlling a content addressable memory (CAM) device, the method comprising:
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assigning respective classification values to a plurality of storage blocks within the CAM device; and
outputting a compare instruction to the CAM device, the compare instruction including a class code to be compared with the classification values to select a subset of the plurality of storage blocks to participate in a compare operation. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method of controlling a content addressable memory (CAM) device, the method comprising:
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assigning respective classification values to a plurality of storage blocks within the CAM device;
outputting a class code to the CAM device; and
outputting a compare instruction to the CAM device, the compare instruction indicating that a comparand is to be compared with data words stored within each of the plurality of storage blocks for which the assigned classification value matches the class code. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
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34. A content addressable memory (CAM) device comprising:
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a plurality of CAM blocks each having an array of CAM cells; and
an address circuit coupled to the plurality of CAM blocks and including a plurality of storage elements to store respective addresses, each of the plurality of storage elements corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of class-based storage partitions within the CAM device, each class-based storage partition including at least one of the plurality of CAM blocks, the address circuit including selection circuitry to select, according to a class code value, one of the plurality of storage elements to supply an address to access the corresponding class-based storage partition. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A method of operation within a content addressable memory (CAM) device, the method comprising:
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receiving an instruction to store a data word in the CAM device, the instruction including a class code that identifies one of a plurality of storage partitions within the CAM device;
selecting, according to the class code, one of a plurality of address storage elements to output an address; and
storing the data word within the CAM device at the address output by the one of the plurality of address storage elements. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. A method of operation within a content addressable memory (CAM) device, the method comprising:
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receiving an instruction to perform a comparison operation within the CAM device, the instruction including a class code that identifies one of a plurality of storage partitions within the CAM device;
performing the comparison operation, including generating an address of a storage location within the one of the plurality of storage partitions that contains a data word that matches a comparand;
selecting one of a plurality of match address storage elements according to the class code; and
loading the address into the one of a plurality of match address storage elements. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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58. A method of operation within a CAM device, the method comprising:
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receiving an instruction to read a data word stored within the CAM device, the instruction including a class code that uniquely identifies one of a plurality of storage partitions;
selecting, according to the class code, one of a plurality of address storage elements to output an address; and
reading the data word from a storage location within the one of the plurality of storage partitions at the address output by the one of the plurality of address storage elements. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61)
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62. A method of operation within a CAM device, the method comprising:
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selecting a first storage partition within the CAM device according to a first class code; and
identifying a free storage location within the first storage partition. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65, 66)
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67. A method of operation within a CAM device, the method comprising:
- selecting a first storage partition within the CAM device according to a class code; and
identifying, within the first storage partition, a storage location having a data value stored therein that, at least in part, matches a first comparand value. - View Dependent Claims (68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
- selecting a first storage partition within the CAM device according to a class code; and
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73. A content addressable memory (CAM) device comprising:
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a first CAM block configurable into a first width and depth configuration; and
a second CAM block configurable into a second width and depth configuration. - View Dependent Claims (74, 75, 76, 77)
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78. A content addressable memory (CAM) device comprising:
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a plurality of storage means for storing data words, each storage means having a storage width determined according to a configuration value; and
select means for enabling, according to a class code, selected ones of the plurality of the storage means to participate in a compare operation. - View Dependent Claims (79, 80, 81, 82)
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Specification