Advanced Micro Devices has produced the Am99C10, a very large scale integration Content Addressable Memory, with a capacity of 256 words and a user-programmable word width of 16-bits or 48 bits, with built-in logic attached to every memory cell: using the 48-bit register and a 48-bit maskable comparator, data is simultaneously compared to all 256 words addressed in a single 100nS cycle, and then the on-chip priority encoder generates a match-word address to locate the data; if multiple matches occur, the encoder generates the lowest matched address, while, to prevent breaches of security, any or all bits of the comparand value can be selectively masked, allowing for comparison on only a part of the data word; the Am99C10 Content Addressable Memory, which is now available in production quantities, can be used in high speed Ethernet and Fibre Distributed Data Interface local area networks, to bridge applications by functioning as an address filter, and by performing the network address look-up tasks; no price given.
