A data analysis system, comprising: a data buffer configured to receive data to be analyzed and data padding as a data block of a plurality of data blocks, wherein the data padding is inserted between certain data segments of a plurality of data segments of the data block so that each data segment of the plurality of data segments starts and/or stops at predetermined intervals or wherein the data padding is added to the end of the data block so that the data block is of an equal size as all remaining data blocks of the plurality of data blocks; a data buffer system comprising the data buffer and an instruction buffer configured to receive instructions that correspond to the data to be analyzed and the data padding; a state machine lattice comprising a plurality of configurable elements (34, 36) and each configurable element (34, 36) comprising a plurality of memory cells, wherein each configurable element (34, 36) is configured to analyze at least a portion of the data and to output a result of the analysis; and a buffer interface configured to receive the data and the data padding from the data buffer and the instructions from the instruction buffer and to provide the data, the data padding, and the instructions to the state machine lattice, wherein the instructions are utilized to identify and disregard the data padding, wherein the data buffer is configured to provide data to the buffer interface via data bursts (320, 322, 324, 326, 328, 330, 332, 334) and each data burst (320, 322, 324, 326, 328, 330, 332, 334) comprises a predetermined portion of data for each of a plurality of state machine lattices. a data buffer configured to receive data to be analyzed and data padding as a data block of a plurality of data blocks, wherein the data padding is inserted between certain data segments of a plurality of data segments of the data block so that each data segment of the plurality of data segments starts and/or stops at predetermined intervals or wherein the data padding is added to the end of the data block so that the data block is of an equal size as all remaining data blocks of the plurality of data blocks; a data buffer system comprising the data buffer and an instruction buffer configured to receive instructions that correspond to the data to be analyzed and the data padding; a state machine lattice comprising a plurality of configurable elements (34, 36) and each configurable element (34, 36) comprising a plurality of memory cells, wherein each configurable element (34, 36) is configured to analyze at least a portion of the data and to output a result of the analysis; and a buffer interface configured to receive the data and the data padding from the data buffer and the instructions from the instruction buffer and to provide the data, the data padding, and the instructions to the state machine lattice, wherein the instructions are utilized to identify and disregard the data padding, wherein the data buffer is configured to provide data to the buffer interface via data bursts (320, 322, 324, 326, 328, 330, 332, 334) and each data burst (320, 322, 324, 326, 328, 330, 332, 334) comprises a predetermined portion of data for each of a plurality of state machine lattices.