Dynamic CAM Search Speed Control for Power Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-speed network equipment, such as routers, face challenges in reducing power consumption while maintaining stable processing performance, especially during high loads, due to the high power consumption associated with pre-charging in content addressable memory (CAM) systems.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device that adjusts the speed of search processing in a memory system based on the inflow amount of search data, using a search control unit to detect the data input and an output control unit to manage the search results, allowing for parallel search of memory cell arrays and reducing peak power consumption by downscaling retrieval processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the CAM operates at high speed to maintain stable processing during high load, then processing stability is improved, but power consumption increases due to pre-charging of match lines
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic speed adjustment of the CAM search processing based on the inflow amount of search data. The search control unit detects the data inflow rate and adjusts the search processing speed accordingly, allowing the system to operate at high speed during high load for stability, and reduce speed during low load to lower power consumption, thus resolving the contradiction between processing stability and power consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the CAM system by adjusting the search processing speed according to the detected data inflow amount. By varying the search speed parameter dynamically, the system can balance between maintaining processing stability during high load and reducing power consumption during low load periods
2Use of energy by moving object
If the search processing speed is reduced to lower power consumption during low load, then power consumption is improved, but processing performance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the search processing speed based on real-time detection of data inflow amount. When the inflow amount is low, the search speed is reduced to lower power consumption, and when the inflow amount increases, the speed is increased to maintain processing performance, thus resolving the contradiction between power consumption and processing performance
3Reliability
If design provides large performance margin to ensure stable operation under high load, then reliability is improved, but power consumption increases even during low load
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the need for fixed large performance margin by implementing dynamic speed adjustment. The search control unit detects the actual data inflow amount and adjusts the search processing speed accordingly, allowing the system to operate at reduced speed during low load periods while maintaining stability during high load, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and power consumption
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device that includes a memory system is configured to accept input of search data and to search in parallel respective rows of a memory cell array such as a CAM and so forth for data held in a memory. The memory system detects whether an inflow amount of the search data that is input is at least a fixed amount by monitoring a packing ratio of an FIFO buffer that a search command is held. The memory system controls a speed of search processing by dividing the memory cell array into blocks and setting each block as a search processing object in accordance with a result of detection.