Patent ID: 7483283

Claim:
A method for updating a content addressable memory (CAM) comprising a memory having a first port configured to white a 1-bit data to the memory and a second port configured to access the memory to read and write N-bit data, where N is greater than one, the method comprising: writing an N-bit zero data word to the second port at a first address A 2 to erase N bits of the memory at address A 2 ; combining the first address A 2 with a data value A 0 to form a second address A 1 ; and writing a value 1 to the first data port at the address A 1 , to set bit of memory at the second address A 1 , wherein reading the second port at the first address A 2 will produce an N-bit data word having value 1 at bit position A 0 and zero at all other bit positions.