CNU/CEBAF/NASA COLLABORATION
Content Addressable Memory (CAM)

CAM Prototype designed with Custom & Standard Cells

Project Description

A collaboration group has formed with Christopher Newport University (CNU) NASA and CEBAF National Laboratory. This group is developing a custom Content Addressable Memory (CAM). The CAM will be 256 words x 32 bits. The CAM is being specifically developed for a particle tracking application at CEBAF and will be used in the Hall B triggering system. The CAM requires some special features not found in conventional CAMs. Its 32 Bit word is divided into 4 Bytes. Each byte can be independently matched. The is also a majority function which allows for word matches to externally controlled and set to 1, 2, 3, or 4 byte matches. This allows for partial (or fuzzy) word matches. The CAM is being designed with the Cadence tools in conjunction with the CMOSX 0.8 micron standard cell library. The prototypes have been fabricated through MOSIS.

Design Team:

• Dr. Robert F. Hodson (CNU)
• Dr. David C. Doughty (CNU)
• David C. Allgood (CNU)
• Stephen A. Campbell (CNU)
• William C. Wilson (NASA)
• Frank Walian (CNU)
• Christopher Kyte (CNU)

More CAM information

• Pictures & Specs
• Architecture.
• Cell Design.
• Cadence Design Steps for CMOSX Libraries.