Aeroflex Utmc Microelectronic Systems, Inc.

Utmc Microelectronic Systems Inc.

Timothy Allan Melchior

James Rodney Webster

Thaddeus Michael Firlit

A search coprocessor card for attachment to a computer system has an interface to a host processor of the computer system and a processor. The processor has memory for its program and data, and is coupled to one or more search engine devices. Each of the search engine devices is in turn coupled to a memory for holding key tables, and is capable of searching the key tables for matching entries.

Search coprocessor subsystem having multiple search engines and dedicated key-table memory for connection to a computer system

A content addressable memory (&ldquo;CAM&rdquo;) engine or controller interfaces between a host signal processor (e.g., a microprocessor) and a plurality of known, commercially-available random access memory (&ldquo;RAM&rdquo;) devices. The CAM engine configures the RAM as content addressable memory, thereby causing the normally location-addressed RAM to function as CAM. The CAM engine thus allows for the benefits of both RAM and CAM devices, such as speed, density, cost and intuitiveness, without their inherent drawbacks. Further, the CAM engine implements various flexible memory storage configurations for the keys and associations stored in RAM. Also, the CAM engine implements certain algorithms that provide for the hashing of data, for table load and unload capabilities, for proximity matching, for dealing with overflow conditions, and for implementing hierarchical search capabilities.

Content addressable memory (CAM) engine

A method and apparatus for determining the longest prefix match in a content addressable memory. A content addressable memory device comprises an application specific integrated circuit which interfaces between a general microprocessor and a random access memory so as to create an associative memory structure which includes transition nodes, significant nodes and arcs. A table including multiple data structures is created in the random access memory by the device for storing prefixes and associated data in a predetermined manner. The table is manipulated by the device in response to commands such as add data, delete data, and search for data by the microprocessor.

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Colorado Springs, CO, United States of America

Timothy Allan Melchior