Patent ID: 7692941

Claim:
A content addressable memory (CAM) system comprising: an integrated circuit chip including: an array of CAM cells; read/write access circuitry that performs read and write accesses to the array of CAM cells; comparison access circuitry that performs comparison operations to the array of CAM cells; a first voltage supply pad coupled to the read/write access circuitry; and a second voltage supply pad coupled to the comparison access circuitry; a first voltage supply, external to the integrated circuit chip, which provides a first supply voltage to the first voltage supply pad, wherein the read/write access circuitry is powered by the first supply voltage; a second voltage supply, external to the integrated circuit chip, which provides a second supply voltage to the second voltage supply pad, wherein the comparison access circuitry is powered by the second supply voltage, and wherein the second supply voltage is less than the first supply voltage.