FIFO memory device capable of writing contiguous data into rows

A FIFO memory device for storing variable-length data which contains a plurality of words and a word count thereof, said FIFO memory device comprising:

• storage means containing a plurality of storage unit cells arranged as a unidimensional array, at a bottom of which an output port is provided to read out contents therein, wherein each of said storage unit cells can be read or written one word at a time;
• word count detection means, coupled to a data input port of said storage means in parallel, for detecting the word count contained in the variable-length data to be input as input data to said storage means;
• row specification means, coupled to said word count detection means and said storage means, for specifying a row address to point at a row of said storage means into which an initial word of the input data is to be written, wherein the row address is updated after a data write operation to said storage means according to the word count previously detected by said word count detection means;
• write means, coupled to said storage means, for performing the data write operation which writes the input data in batch to a portion of said storage means starting from the row specified by said row specification means;
• read means, coupled to the output port of said storage means, for reading out the contents of said storage means from the output port in a word-by-word manner;
• and
• row shift means for shifting the contents in said storage means by one row forward to the output port each time after said read means reads out one word.

A distributor for distributing variable-length data which contains a plurality of words and a word count thereof to a plurality of devices, said distributor comprising:

• first storage means containing a plurality of storage unit cells arranged as a matrix which can be specified by a two-dimensional coordinate address, wherein each of the storage unit cells can be read or written one word at a time;
• first word count detection means, coupled to a first data input port of said first storage means in parallel, for detecting a first word count contained in the variable-length data to be input to said first storage means;
• write cell specification means, coupled to said first storage means, for specifying one of the storage unit cells in said first storage means by the two-dimensional coordinate address so that the variable-length data is written to one of rows of said first storage means from a beginning thereof until the number of the words written thereto reaches the first word count detected by said first word count detection means;
• read cell specification means, coupled to said first storage means, for specifying one of the rows of said first storage means to read out in a first-in first-out manner;
• second storage means, coupled at a second data input port thereof to an output of said first storage means, containing another set of the storage unit cells arranged as a unidimensional array, at a bottom of which an output port is provided to read out contents therein, wherein each of the storage unit cells can be read or written one word at a time;
• second word count detection means, coupled to the second data input port of said second storage means in parallel, for detecting a second word count contained in a read-out data which is read out from said first storage means and present at the second data input port of said second storage means;
• row specification means, coupled to said second word count detection means and said second storage means, for specifying a row address to point at a row of said second storage means into which an initial word of the read-out data is to be written, wherein the row address is updated after a data write operation to said second storage means, according to the second word count previously detected by said second word count detection means;
• write means, coupled to said second storage means, for performing the data write operation which writes the read-out data in batch to a portion of said second storage means starting at the row specified by said row specification means;
• read means, coupled to the output port of said second storage means, for reading out the contents of said second storage means from the output port in a word-by-word manner;
• and
• row shift means for shifting the contents in said second storage means by one row forward to the output port each time after said read means reads out one word.