Apparatus for sorting data words on the basis of the values of associated parameters

A device for storing a first predetermined number of fixed format data words on the basis of the value of a specific metric (parameter) contained in a fixed field within each data word, said metric having a predetermined known value range of M different discrete values, and any specific value of said metric occurring at most N times within said first predetermined number, said device comprising:

• an input for receiving said data words in succession;
• a memory comprising M memory blocks, each memory block having a plurality of at least N storage locations;
• a memory control device fed by said input for controlling a write operation in said memory upon reception of a data word with the metric value operating as a memory block address on an address output connected to a first partial address input of said memory and any non-metric field as memory data on a first data output connected to a data input of said memory;
• a counting device for storing an associated counting value for each block, having a second address input connected to said first data output for retrieving the counting value addressed by the metric value of data word upon reception of the data word to operate as an in-block storage location address, in that a counting value output of said counting device is connected to a second partial address input of said memory, the aggregate information on said first and second partial address inputs operating as a complete memory address, said counting device furthermore having means for incrementing and restoring the retrieved counting value upon each write operation as indicating the number of data words stored in the last-mentioned memory block;
• a priority determining device fed by said counting device for receiving therefrom respective counting values to on the basis thereof determining a non-empty memory block of highest rank under control of any non-zero counting value, and outputting the associated memory block address to said first partial address input;
• read means having an activation input for receiving a read control signal and for thereupon generating an activation signal for said priority determining device for controlling the outputting of said last-mentioned memory block address and for controlling the outputting of the counting value associated with said last-mentioned memory block to said second partial address input, said read means having decrementing means for decrementing the counting value addressed by said priority determining means after each read access in said memory.