Patent Abstract:
A method for operating a content addressable memory that includes receiving a first data value for evaluation at a first memory block during a first time interval, receiving a second data value for evaluation at a second memory block during a second time interval and evaluating said both the first and second data values during a third time interval. According to one embodiment of the invention the first and second time intervals are separate so that the first and second data blocks receive unique data out of phase with one another from a single address bus. Evaluation of both data values takes place substantially simultaneously in the respective memory blocks. Also included is a device architecture and a device adapted to control data transfer to two CAM memory blocks in response to alternate phase transitions of a control signal.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to a memory architecture and device, and more particularly to a content addressable memory architecture and device.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     A content addressable memory (CAM) is a memory device that permits rapid parallel searching of stored data to find a particular data value. In contrast to most other memory formats (such as ROM and RAM memory), which are based on address-driven storage architectures, the typical CAM memory device offers both address-driven and content-driven data access.  
         [0003]     Address-driven memory device architectures are well-known. According to an address-driven architecture, during a memory access, a user supplies an address and stores data, or retrieves data previously stored, at that specific address. For example, in an address-driven architecture, data values may be stored at a particular logical address by specifying the address on an address bus, and supplying data on a data bus to be stored at the specified address. In the same fashion, data may be retrieved on the data bus in response to a memory address supplied on the address bus.  
         [0004]     As noted, the typical CAM memory device can be accessed in both address-driven and content-driven fashion. Storage of data in a CAM may be performed in an address-driven mode, as described above. Additionally, some CAM memory devices allow storage of data in a “first available storage location.” For example a logical flag may be provided for each storage location of the CAM device, indicating whether a storage location contains stored data, or is available to receive new data. When a new data item is presented to the CAM device, each logical flag of the logical flag set is tested simultaneously and an unused storage location is identified. The new data item is then stored in the unused storage location, and the logical flag associated with that location is reconfigured to indicate that the location is in use.  
         [0005]     As with data storage, data retrieval in a CAM memory may be performed on an address-driven basis. More importantly, however, CAM memory provides content-driven data retrieval. In a content-driven data retrieval, a data pattern is presented to the CAM memory device. If the CAM memory device contains a previously stored data item of the same data pattern, that presence is indicated and the location in the CAM where the searched data is stored is identified and an address connected with the matched data is returned. The CAM memory device is structured to perform the search on a highly parallel basis, conducting the search on all the data in the CAM substantially simultaneously. Consequently, a CAM can provide search results much more rapidly than an address-driven memory device, in which searches are typically performed serially, one address at a time.  
         [0006]     The content-driven data retrieval facility of a CAM memory is typically implemented by providing an array of storage cells connected in an extensive wired-or configuration. This architecture allows a multi-bit data word applied to an input of the CAM device to be compared, substantially simultaneously, with the data words stored in every location of the CAM.  
         [0007]      FIG. 1  shows a simplified schematic representation of a CAM memory device  10 , as known in the art. The CAM device includes a search register  12  and a plurality of storage words  14 . Each storage word  14  includes multiple CAM memory cells  16 . The search register  12  includes a corresponding plurality of search register bits  18 . The search register  12  is coupled to each of the storage words  14  by a parallel bus  20 , so that each cell  16  (for example cell  22 ) of a storage word  14  is coupled to a corresponding bit (for example  24 ) of the search register  12 . Each storage word is coupled to a corresponding match line  26 . The match line  26  exhibits electrical capacitance (represented as lumped capacitance  28 ) and can be pre-charged to a particular electrical potential by a precharge circuit  30 .  
         [0008]     As shown at  22  each CAM memory cell  16  of each storage word  14  includes a circuit  34  adapted to switchingly couple a particular match line  27  to ground  32 . The circuit includes an input  36  coupled to the data bus  20 . The input  36  is coupled to a gate of a transistor  38 . Transistor  38  is coupled in series with another transistor  40  between the particular match line  27  and ground  32 . Input  36  is also coupled, through an inverter  42 , to a gate of another transistor  44 . Transistor  44  is coupled in series with another transistor  46  between the particular match line  27  and ground  32 . A gate of transistor  46  is coupled to a memory element  50 . The memory element  50  controls the gate of transistor  46  according to a binary value D stored within memory element  50 . A gate of transistor  40  is coupled to a memory element  48 . The memory element  48  controls the gate of transistor  40  according to a binary value equal to the complement of D stored within memory element  48 .  
         [0009]     If the binary data received at input  36  is not equal to D, then the particular match line  27  is switchingly coupled to ground  32  through either transistor  38  and transistor  40  or transistor  44  and transistor  46 . If the binary data received at input  36  is equal to D, then the particular circuit  34  does not ground the particular match line  27 . If the data values received at the other respective inputs of the particular storage word  29  all match the corresponding “D” values of the respective memory cells  16  of storage word  29 , then the particular match line  27  is not grounded at all. Accordingly, match line  27  remains at a detectably high potential, and a data match between the data values held in the search register  12  and the particular storage word  29  is indicated.  
         [0010]     In operation, each match line is charged to a precharge voltage by the action of the precharge circuit  30 . A binary value is stored in the search register  12 . Corresponding binary values are applied to the storage words  14  over the parallel bus  20 . If a bit value in the search register differs from a corresponding bit value in a search word  14 , that search word switches to provide an electrical path between the respective match line  26  and ground  32 . The capacitance  28  of the match line  26  is thus discharged, indicating, by a resulting low match line voltage, that the value in the storage word  14  does not match the value in the search register  12 . If a match line remains high (ungrounded), this indicates that the storage word  14  coupled to that match line  26  contains the same value as that present in the search register  12 .  
         [0011]     In at least some prior art CAM devices, memory cells are arranged in a plurality of memory blocks on a substrate. Each memory block is connected to a respective dedicated data bus that supplies data to the memory block. Different data can be provided on each dedicated data bus. As a result different data may be searched in different memory blocks at the same time. A device  100  constructed according to this architecture is shown in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  shows a substrate  201  on which are formed first  202  and second  204  memory blocks. Each memory block includes a plurality of CAM memory cells  16  formed on the substrate. The first memory block  202  has a first data input port  206  coupled to a first search register  208 . The second memory block  204  has a second data input port  210  coupled to a second search register  212 . The first  208  and second  212  search registers are each coupled to a respective search data bus  215 ,  217 . A first control line  219  is coupled to a first control input  218  of the first memory block  202  and a second control input  222  of the first search register  208 . A second control line  221  is coupled to a third control input  220  of the second memory block  204  and to a fourth control input  224  of the second search register  212 .  
         [0013]     A control circuit  226  is coupled to the control lines  219 ,  221 . The control circuit  226  is adapted to apply respective control signals to the control lines  219 ,  221 , thereby initiating comparisons between the values in the search registers  208 ,  212  and storage words made up of memory cells  16  within the corresponding memory blocks  202 ,  204 . Because each memory block has its own data bus  219 ,  221 , this arrangement is costly in terms of device complexity and associated manufacturing yields, device real estate, and device energy and thermal budgets.  
         [0014]     This costliness is a factor in the economics of CAM applications. Accordingly it is desirable to produce a CAM a memory integrated circuit having an improved data bus architecture.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]     An exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes an architecture for a memory integrated circuit that exhibits greater areal efficiency and reduced complexity as compared with prior art designs. In one aspect of the invention, data on a data bus is time multiplexed so as to reduce the requirement for data conductors on an integrated circuit. Consequently, in one embodiment, the present invention includes a CAM that is compact as compared with prior art CAM devices. According to one embodiment of the invention, a CAM device includes an integrated circuit device with two or more memory blocks of CAM memory cells. The memory blocks of CAM memory cells are supported by a substrate. The substrate also supports a data bus that is mutually coupled to two search registers of at least two of the memory blocks respectively. The data bus supplies data to the two search registers according to alternating transitions of a periodic clock signal.  
         [0016]     According to one embodiment, the invention includes a method for operating a content addressable memory that includes receiving a first data value for evaluation at a first memory block during a first time interval, receiving a second data value for evaluation at a second memory block during a second time interval and evaluating said both the first and second data values during a third time interval. According to one embodiment of the invention the first and second time intervals are separate so that the first and second data blocks receive unique data out of phase with one another from a single address bus. Evaluation of both data values takes place substantially simultaneously in the respective memory blocks.  
         [0017]     The above and other features and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of the invention which is provided in connection with the accompanying drawings.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]      FIG. 1  shows a simplified representation of a portion of a conventional content addressable memory device in block diagram form;  
         [0019]      FIG. 2  shows a simplified representation of a portion of a conventional content addressable memory device in block diagram form;  
         [0020]      FIG. 3  shows a content addressable memory device in block diagram form according to one embodiment of the invention;  
         [0021]      FIG. 4  shows a signal timing diagram including control signal timing according to one embodiment of the invention;  
         [0022]      FIG. 5  shows a flowchart showing steps for a read operation according to one embodiment of the invention;  
         [0023]      FIG. 6  shows a flowchart for manufacturing a content addressable memory device according to one embodiment of the invention;  
         [0024]      FIG. 7  shows a digital system including a content addressable memory according to one aspect of the invention.  
         [0025]      FIG. 8  shows a communications network including a router with a content addressable memory according to one aspect of the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0026]     In one exemplary embodiment, the present invention includes a CAM memory device architecture in which a single data bus is used to convey data to two memory blocks of a single CAM memory device in time multiplexed form. Respective data values are provided to the two memory blocks according to alternating phase transitions of a control signal. Consequently, a single data bus serves the function of two separate prior art data buses. The result is a savings in integrated circuit real estate and complexity, since one data bus is provided rather than two. Various exemplary aspects of the invention are directed to the architecture, and its method of formation, and to operation of a CAM memory device according to the invention.  
         [0027]      FIG. 3  shows an exemplary CAM memory device  200  according to one embodiment of the invention. The CAM device  200  includes a substrate  201 . The substrate may include any supporting structure including, but not limited to a semiconductor substrate that has an exposed substrate surface. The substrate may be a semiconductor substrate or other substrate. Semiconductor substrates should be understood to include silicon, silicon-on-insulator (SOI), silicon-on-sapphire (SOS), doped and undoped semiconductors, epitaxial layers of silicon supported by a base semiconductor foundation, and other semiconductor structures. The substrate may include regions or junctions in or over the base semiconductor or foundation formed during preparatory process steps.  
         [0028]     A plurality of CAM memory cells  16  are formed on the substrate. According to one embodiment, the cells are arranged into discrete memory blocks  202 ,  204 . One of the memory blocks  202  has a first data input port  206  coupled to a first search register  208 . Another of the memory blocks  204  has a second data input port  210  coupled to a second search register  212 . The first  208  and second  212  search registers are mutually coupled to a single search data bus  214 .  
         [0029]     The search data bus consists of a plurality of data lines coupled to provide data in parallel format to the first search register  208  and second search register  212 . In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the data bus may consist of one or more data lines adapted to provide data in serial format to the first search register  208  and second search register  212 . The data lines may include various transmission media such as strip-lines, micro-strip lines, or waveguide structures including optical waveguide structures. In one embodiment, the inverter  42  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) is omitted from the CAM memory cells  16 , and the data bus  214  includes complemented data lines.  
         [0030]     A control line  216  is mutually coupled to a first control input  218  of the first memory block  202  and a second control input  220  of the second memory block  204 . The control line  216  is also mutually coupled to a third control input  222  of the first search register  208  and to a fourth control input  224  of the second search register  212 . The control line may be formed of conductive material such as polysilicon or metallic material, or the control line may be formed as a waveguide, such as an optical waveguide. A control circuit  226  is formed on the substrate  201  and coupled to the control line  216 . The control circuit  226  is adapted to apply a control signal  304  (as discussed below in relation to in  FIG. 4 ) to the control line  216 . According to various embodiments of the invention, buffer circuits adapted to amplify control or data signals may be provided on the substrate  201  in conjunction with the data bus and/or control signal lines.  
         [0031]     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the memory blocks  202 ,  204  are disposed in spaced relation to one another. The search registers  208 ,  212  and the search data bus  214  are disposed between the memory blocks  202  and  204 .  
         [0032]      FIG. 4  shows a timing diagram  300  indicating signal timing relationships for operation of the  FIG. 3  CAM memory device. Reference is made to a time axis  302 . A control signal  304  is shown as a substantially periodic substantially symmetric square wave signal. The control signal  304  includes downward transitions  306  at periodically repeating times  308  and upward transitions  310  at periodically repeating times  312 . Graph  314  shows the time intervals  316  when first data, destined for the first search register  208 , is stable on the search data bus  214 . These time intervals  316  begin at periodically repeating times  318  and end at periodically repeating times  320 . Graph  322  shows the further time intervals  324  when second data, destined for the second search register  212 , is stable on the search bus  214 . These further time intervals  324  begin at periodically repeating times  320  and end at periodically repeating times  318 . Graph  326  shows the time intervals  328  during which stable output data is available at output port  228  of memory block  202  and output port  230  of memory block  204 . An evaluation time interval beginning at periodic time  312  is indicated by reference numeral  330 .  
         [0033]      FIG. 5  shows a flowchart  500  illustrating steps for reading a content addressable memory device according to one embodiment of the invention. In a first step  502  first comparand data is received onto data bus  214  (as shown in  FIG. 3 ). In a second step  504  the first comparand data is latched into first search register  208 . The latching of first comparand data into first search register  208  is triggered by downward transition  306  of signal  304 , (as shown in  FIG. 4 ). Referring again to  FIG. 5 , in a third step  506  second comparand data is received on to data bus  214 . In a fourth step  508  second comparand data is latched into second search register  212 . In the instant embodiment, latching of second comparand data into second search register  212  is triggered by upward transition  310  of signal  304  (a shown in  FIG. 4 ). The upward transition  310  is also received at the first  202  and second  204  memory blocks, as shown in step  510  of  FIG. 5 . As shown in step  512 , the upward transition  310  of signal  304  also initiates the evaluation of fist data in first memory block  202  and second memory block  204 . This evaluation takes place during time interval  330  (as shown in  FIG. 4 ). In step  514 , first evaluation results are received at first output  228  of first memory block  202  and at second output  230  of second memory block  204 . This takes place during periodic time interval  328  (as shown in  FIG. 4 ).  
         [0034]      FIG. 6  shows a flowchart  600  illustrating the steps for manufacturing, according to one embodiment of the invention, a content addressable memory device. In a first step  602  a substrate is provided. In a second step  604  a plurality of CAM memory cells are formed on the substrate  201 . The cells are formed in at least first  202  and second  204  blocks of cells. In a third step  606 , first  208  and second  212  search registers are formed on the substrate  201 . In step  608 , the first search register  208  is coupled to the first memory block  202  and second search registered  212  is coupled to the second memory block  204 . In step  610  data bus  214  is formed over the substrate  201 . As described above, the data bus may include a parallel or serial architecture data bus, and may include a variety of transmission media, including conductors, transmission lines, and waveguides including optical waveguides. In step  612  the data bus is coupled to both the first  208  and second  212  search registers. In step  614  a control line is formed over the substrate. In step  616 , the control line is coupled to the first  208  and second  212  search registers and to the first  202  and second  204  memory blocks. In step  618  a control circuit  226  is formed over the substrate, and in step  620 , and output of the control circuit  226  is coupled to the control line  216 . In step  622  first  228  and second output ports  230  are formed over the substrate. In step  624 , the first output port  228  is coupled to the first memory block  202  and second output port  230  is coupled to the second memory block  204 .  
         [0035]      FIG. 7  illustrates an exemplary processing system  800  which utilizes a CAM device  200  constructed as described above with reference to  FIGS. 1-6 . The processing system  800  includes one or more processors  801  coupled to a local bus  804 . A memory controller  802  and a primary bus bridge  803  are also coupled the local bus  804 . The processing system  800  may include multiple memory controllers  802  and/or multiple primary bus bridges  803 . The memory controller  802  and the primary bus bridge  803  may be integrated as a single device  806 .  
         [0036]     The memory controller  802  is also coupled to one or more memory buses  807 . Each memory bus accepts memory components  808 , which include at least one memory device  200  of the invention. Alternatively, in a simplified system, the memory controller  802  may be omitted and the memory components directly coupled to one or more processors  801 . The memory components  808  may be a memory card or a memory module. The memory components  808  may include one or more additional devices  809 . For example, the additional device  809  might be a configuration memory. The memory controller  802  may also be coupled to a cache memory  805 . The cache memory  805  may be the only cache memory in the processing system. Alternatively, other devices, for example, processors  801  may also include cache memories, which may form a cache hierarchy with cache memory  805 . If the processing system  800  include peripherals or controllers which are bus masters or which support direct memory access (DMA), the memory controller  802  may implement a cache coherency protocol. If the memory controller  802  is coupled to a plurality of memory buses  807 , each memory bus  807  may be operated in parallel, or different address ranges may be mapped to different memory buses  807 .  
         [0037]     The primary bus bridge  803  is coupled to at least one peripheral bus  810 . Various devices, such as peripherals or additional bus bridges may be coupled to the peripheral bus  810 . These devices may include a storage controller  811 , a miscellaneous I/O device  814 , a secondary bus bridge  815 , a multimedia processor  818 , and a legacy device interface  820 . The primary bus bridge  803  may also coupled to one or more special purpose high speed ports  822 . In a personal computer, for example, the special purpose port might be the Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP), used to couple a high performance video card to the processing system  800 .  
         [0038]     The storage controller  811  couples one or more storage devices  813 , via a storage bus  812 , to the peripheral bus  810 . For example, the storage controller  811  may be a SCSI controller and storage devices  813  may be SCSI discs. The I/O device  814  may be any sort of peripheral. For example, the I/O device  814  may be an local area network interface, such as an Ethernet card. The secondary bus bridge may be used to interface additional devices via another bus to the processing system. For example, the secondary bus bridge may be a universal serial port (USB) controller used to couple USB devices  817  via a secondary bus  816  and the secondary bus bridge  815  to the processing system  800 . The multimedia processor  818  may be a sound card, a video capture card, or any other type of media interface, which may also be coupled to one or more additional devices such as speakers  819 . The legacy device interface  820  is used to couple one or more legacy devices  821 , for example, older styled keyboards and mice, to the processing system  800 .  
         [0039]     The processing system  800  illustrated in  FIG. 7  is only an exemplary processing system with which the invention may be used. While  FIG. 7  illustrates a processing architecture especially suitable for a general purpose computer, such as a personal computer or a workstation, it should be recognized that well known modifications can be made to configure the processing system  800  to become more suitable for use in a variety of applications. For example, many electronic devices which require processing may be implemented using a simpler architecture which relies on a CPU  801  coupled to CAM memory devices  200 .  
         [0040]      FIG. 8  shows a communications network  900  according to one aspect of the invention. The network includes a modem  902  having a first port  904  adapted to be coupled to the Internet  906  and a second port  908  adapted to be coupled to a local area network  910 . A router  912  has a remote-side port  914  coupled to the second port  908  of the modem, and an interface  916  including a plurality of local ports for connection to local devices. The router  912  includes a processor  918  for receiving and processing information received from and/or destined for the local devices. The router also includes a content accessible memory device  200  according to one embodiment of the invention, as described above. The content accessible memory  200  is coupled to the processor  918  and adapted to store and retrieve data under the control of the processor. A variety of local devices are coupled to respective local ports, of the interface  916 , including general-purpose computers  922 , telephone devices  924 , and network router devices  926 .  
         [0041]     The description and drawings presented above illustrate only a few of the many embodiments which achieve the features and advantages of the present invention. Modification and substitutions to specific process conditions and structures can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be considered as being limited by the foregoing description and drawings, but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6