Pseudo-nor cell for ternary content addressable memory
AssigneeQUALCOMM Incorporated
InventorsRakesh Vattikonda, Nishith Desai, ChangHo Jung
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method within a ternary content addressable memory (TCAM) includes receiving a match line output from a previous TCAM stage at a gate of a pull-up transistor of a current TCAM stage and at a gate of a pull-down transistor of the current TCAM stage. The method sets a match line bar at the current TCAM stage to a low value, via the pull-down transistor, when the match line output from the previous TCAM stage indicates a mismatch. The method also sets the match line bar at the current TCAM stage to a high value, via the pull-up transistor, when the match line output from the previous TCAM stage indicates a match.
Claims15
A method within a ternary content addressable memory (TCAM), the method comprising:
- receiving a first match line output from a previous TCAM stage at a gate of a pull-up transistor of a current TCAM stage;
- receiving the first match line output at a gate of a pull-down transistor of the current TCAM stage;
- setting a match line bar at the current TCAM stage to a low value, via the pull-down transistor, when the first match line output indicates a mismatch;
- and
- setting the match line bar at the current TCAM stage to a high value, via the pull-up transistor, when the first match line output indicates a match.
A ternary content addressable memory (TCAM), comprising:
- a pull-up means for receiving a match line output from a previous TCAM stage at a current TCAM stage;
- a pull-down means for receiving the match line output from the previous TCAM stage at the current TCAM stage;
- means for setting a match line bar at the current TCAM stage to a low value, via the pull-up means, when the match line output from the previous TCAM stage indicates a mismatch;
- and
- means for setting the match line bar at the current TCAM stage to a high value, via the pull-down means, when the match line output from the previous TCAM stage indicates a match.
A ternary content addressable memory (TCAM), comprising:
- a pull-up transistor stack configured to receive a first match line output from a previous TCAM stage at a current TCAM stage, the pull-up transistor stack setting a match line bar at the current TCAM stage to a low value when the first match line output indicates a mismatch;
- and
- a pull-down transistor configured to receive the first match line output at the current TCAM stage, the pull-down transistor setting the match line bar at the current TCAM stage to a high value when the first match line output indicates a match.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.