A search engine architecture substitutes short indices for large data
widths, thereby reducing widths required for input to and output from the
search engine. The search engine system comprises a search engine
responsive to an input address to access an index in the search engine.
The index has a width no greater than logarithm on base 2 of the search
engine capacity, thereby permitting the search engine to be embodied in
an IC chip of reduced area. A driver responds to input commands and to
the search engine status to manage indices in the search engine and
enable the memory to access its addressable locations based on indices in
the search engine.