In managing incoming bus traffic storage for store cell memory (SCM) in a sequential-write, random-read system, a priority encoder system can be used to find a next empty cell in the sequential-write step. Each cell in the SCM has a bit that indicates whether the cell is full or empty. The priority encoder encodes the next empty cell using these bits and the current write pointer. The priority encoder can also find next group of empty cells by being coupled to AND operators that are coupled to each group of cells. Further, a cell locator selector selects a next empty cell location among priority encoders for cell groups of various sizes according to an opcode by appending ‘0’s to cell locations outputs from priority encoders that are smaller than the size of the SCM.