Patent ID: 9087586
Filing Date: 2015-07-21
Classification: G11C

Abstract:
1. An apparatus comprising: a first Ternary Content Addressable Memory (TCAM), the first TCAM having a first plurality of words; wherein the first TCAM stores a first plurality of first TCAM match entries; wherein the first TCAM outputs a first TCAM match signal for each word in the first plurality of words; a second Ternary Content Addressable Memory (TCAM), the second TCAM having a second plurality of words; wherein the second TCAM stores a second plurality of second TCAM match entries; wherein the second TCAM outputs a second TCAM match signal for each word in the second plurality of words; a first TCAM grouping of enable register bits wherein a first TCAM enable register bit from the first TCAM group of enable register bits is logically located between each of the first TCAM match signal and a neighboring first TCAM match signal to the first TCAM match signal; where an enabling value on the first TCAM enable register bit indicates that the first TCAM match signal and the neighboring first TCAM match signal are in a same first TCAM group; a first TCAM match-merge unit, the first TCAM match-merge unit receiving the first TCAM match signal from each word in the first plurality of words, receiving the first TCAM grouping of enable register bits and outputting a first TCAM group match signal for each word in the first plurality of words; wherein the first TCAM match-merge unit is operable to output a match indication on each of the first TCAM group match signals in the same first TCAM group when any of the first TCAM match signals in the same first TCAM group indicates a match; wherein the first TCAM match-merge unit is operable to output a mismatch indication on each of the first TCAM group match signals in the same first TCAM group when none of the first TCAM match signals in the same first TCAM group indicates a match; and wherein the first TCAM group match signal for each word of the words enables the second TCAM match signal for the word.