content addressable memory (CAM)

An associative memory is a content-based memory where the stored data is stored and accessed by the content and its semantics rather than by the memory address. The stored data is recognized by its content specifications. In associative memory, Content Addressable Memory ( CAM), data is accessed by a portion of the stored content rather than by an explicit memory address.

Access is via a search register, which is used to simultaneously access all memory cells that contain the corresponding search information. The selection of the corresponding memory cells is done via a second register, the mask register. A relevance mask masks all bit positions that are to be compared with the information in the comparison register. Information parts that are not to be compared are marked accordingly. After the comparison, the results are entered in the result register. Matching search information in the result register is marked with a "1".

The operation of the associative memory is comparable to that of the human brain.