One-Transistor-Cell 4-Valued Universal-Literal CAM for Cellular Logic Image Processing

A non-volatile 4-valued content-addressable memory (CAM) is proposed for fully parallel template-matching operations in real-time cellular logic image processing with fixed templates. A universal literal in each CAM cell is used to compare a 4-ualued input pixel with a 4valued template pattern. Any CAM cell functions are performed by a pair of a simple threshold operation and a logic-value conversion which a8 shared by CAM ce1l.s in the same column of a C A M cellular array. Moreover, the use o f ? single Boating-gate MOS transistor makes it possible to implement a universal-literal circuit together with a 4-valued storage element. As a result, a high-density d-valued universul-literal CAM with a single transistor cell is designed by using a multi-layer interconnection technology. Its performance as much superior to that of conventional CAM-based implementations under the same dynamic power dissipation.