Patent ID: 6853251

Claim:
A self-adjusting winner lineup amplifier comprising: signal control sections which input a comparison signal (C i ; a suffix i is a row number) from a word weighted comparator disposed in each row of a memory area; a self-adjusting distance amplifying section which amplifies output signals of said signal control sections whose levels are controlled by the signal control sections, and output the amplified comparison signals as distance amplified signals (LA i ); a feedback generating section which inputs a self-adjusting voltage (F a ) common to the distance amplifying sections corresponding to the respective rows in the memory area; and a drive current generating section comprising a voltage follower which converts an output voltage (min{C i }) from the feedback generating section into a feedback voltage (F) supported by a large driving current; wherein said feedback voltage (F) is supplied in parallel to the signal control sections corresponding to the respective rows in the memory area; amplification characteristics of the distance amplifying section are self-adjusted by a comparison signal (C win ) of a winner row among the comparison signals (C i ); and said signal control sections lead at least the comparison signal (C win ) of the winner and the corresponding control section's output signal into the range of a maximum gain area of the distance amplifying section.