Associative Memory

The time required to find an item stored in memory can reduced considerably if stored data
can be identified for access by the content of the data itself rather than by an address .
A memory unit accessed by the content is called an Associative Memory or Content
Addressable Memory (CAM).
1) This type of memory can be accessed simultaneously and in parallel on the basis of data
content rather than by specific address or location.
2) When a word is written in a associative memory, no address is given.
3) The memory is capable of finding an empty unused location to store the word and when a
word is to be read from an associative memory , the content of the word or part of the word
is specified.
4) The memory locates all the words which match the specified content and marks them for
reading.

Hardware Organization of associative memory:

1) The block diagram of an associative memory is shown below:

Input

Input Register

Match Register

Storage
Cell Select
array Logic

Out Put Register

Out Put

2) It consists of a memory array and logic for m words with n bits per word.
3) Each unit of stored information is a fixed length word.
4) Any subfield of the word can be chosen as the key.
5) Here the desired key is specified by the bit position that defines the key.
6) The current key is compared simultaneously with all stored words: and those words that match
the key output a match signal, enters a select circuit and enables the data field to be accessed.
7) If several entries have the same key then the select circuit determines which data field is to be
read out.
8) It can be, for example read out all match entries in some predetermined order.
9) Since all word in the memory required to compare their keys with the input with the input key
simultaneously, therefore each needs its own match circuit.
10) The match and logic circuit makes associative memory much more complex than the
conventional memory.