IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO CONTENT-ADDRESSABLE (ASSOCIATIVE) MEMORY DEVICES

摘要

A compound associative memory (or content Addressable Memory) foruse with a SIMD associative data-parallel computer is described. The compound memory (50) comprises a bit-parallel word-organised associative memory (52) comprising an array of associative memory cells (200) arranged to be capable of bit-parallel search and write operations; and a bit-serial associative memory (56) which comprises an array of associative memory cells (400) arranged to be capable of bit-serial search and write operations, but not word bit-parallel search and write operations. The bit-serial memory (52) is operatively connected to the bit-parallel memory (52) and arranged to operated as an extension of the same. The organisation of memory cells (400) into words in the bit-serial memory (56) is aligned transversely with the organisation of memory cells (200) into words in the bit-parallel memory (52) such that the bit-serial memory (56) can be used to index the bit-parallel associative memory (52) efficiently.