Abstract: A Content Addressable Memory (CAM) device with an improved match sensing circuit is provided. The CAM is provided with a dummy cell and a respective dummy match line, as well as a reference dummy match line. The dummy match line is designed to be evaluated after all other cell match lines. The reference dummy match line triggers a dummy sensing block to initiate a time window for sensing the dummy match line. By this time, all other array match lines will have been stabilised and have reached their respective sensing blocks, to then allow the data to be latched. The match sensing circuit provided may be applied to a variety of arrangements including BCAMs and TCAMs.

Abstract: A tracking circuit in a memory unit which generates sense enable signals at optimal time instances. The tracking circuit includes a scalable driver block containing a number of dummy cells, each having a drive strength identical to the drive strength of a cell in a memory array. The dummy cells are turned on and drive a column as would the memory cells in the memory array. As a result, the scalable driver block approximates the delay caused by (a number of rows in) a column at least when the number of rows is large. An inverse control logic emulates the delay in case of a smaller number of rows, and one of the inverse control logic and the scalable driver blocks provides a pulse, which is used to trigger a sense operation.