Patent ID: 8902624

Claim:
A content addressable memory comprising: match lines; precharge units coupled to the match lines for precharging the match lines to a predetermined voltage; a plurality of memory cells respectively arranged along the match lines and coupled to the match lines, each of the memory cells changing each of the match lines from a precharge state according to either a match or a mismatch between input search data and data stored in advance upon data searching; match amplifiers respectively provided at one ends of the match lines for detecting logic levels of the match lines; and a search data transfer unit for transferring the search data to the memory cells in an arrangement order of the memory cells from the memory cells arranged farther from the match amplifiers to the memory cells arranged closer to the match amplifiers, wherein the search data transfer unit includes a plurality of drivers which respectively correspond to the memory cells and transfer the search data to the corresponding memory cells when a first control signal is asserted, wherein the content addressable memory further includes: a controller which generates the first control signal and outputs the first control signal to the drivers; and a single control signal line coupled to the controller and for transmitting the first control signal to the respective drivers, wherein the single control signal line is coupled to the respective drivers in such a manner that the first control signal passes through coupling nodes between the drivers corresponding to the respective memory cells and the control signal line in an arrangement order of the memory cells from the memory cells far away from the match amplifiers, wherein the controller further generates a second control signal and outputs the second control signal to the match amplifiers, wherein the match amplifiers detect logic levels of the match lines when the second control signal received therein is asserted, wherein the single control signal line is coupled to the controller again so as to reach the controller after the first control signal has passed through the coupling nodes between the single control signal line and the respective drivers, and wherein after the first control signal outputted to the single control signal line is de-asserted, the controller asserts the second control signal after a timing at which the first control signal passed through the single control signal line and returned to the controller is de-asserted.