Block programmable priority encoder in a cam

USRE43552E1 · kind E1 · reissue

Assignee

• Mosaid Technologies Incorporated · CA

Inventors

• Alan Roth · Austin, US
• Sean Lord · Ottawa, CA
• Robert McKenzie · Toronto, CA
• Dieter Haerle · Villach, AT
• Steven Smith · Loveland, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 19, 2010
• Grant date: Jul 24, 2012
• Expiry date: Feb 19, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC —): General

Abstract

A priority encoder (PE) for a CAM, comprising a plurality of PE blocks, each receiving a plurality of match results corresponding to data entries in a corresponding data array block and, for determining an address of a highest priority data entry based on a physical location in the data array block during a CAM search-and-compare operation a register for storing a user defined priority value assigned to each PE block and means for evaluating priority values and the address determined by the plurality of PE blocks to select a PE block having the highest priority data entry.