Patent ID: 8564998

Claim:
A network equipment comprising: a central processing unit, a packet processing unit, which receives data from the Ethernet, and a content addressable memory, wherein the central processing unit controls to transfer data from the packet processing unit to the content addressable memory, wherein the packet processing unit performs analyzing a header of a packet, extracting data, and detecting an address of a next destination, and wherein the content addressable memory analyzes an address received from the packet processing unit, and comprises: a memory array including a plurality of memory cells arranged in a matrix and each memory cell row of the memory array storing entry data to be retrieved; an entry selecting unit for selecting a corresponding entry in the memory array in accordance with a given entry designation signal; a pre-search unit for generating an entry designation signal for designating a corresponding entry in the memory array in accordance with search data and supplying the entry designation signal to the entry selecting unit; a plurality of sense amplifiers for detecting and amplifying data stored in an entry selected by the entry selecting unit on a sub-entry unit basis, each sense amplifier being arranged for a respective column of the memory array; and a comparing/logic processing unit for receiving the search data and output data having a predetermined bit width of the sense amplifiers, comparing the search data and the output data having the predetermined bit width of the sense amplifiers, and generating a signal indicative of a result of the comparison.