Patent ID: 7702841

Claim:
A semiconductor integrated circuit that is configured to be connected to a memory via a transmission line and a reception line that support a split transaction, the semiconductor integrated circuit comprising: a receiving unit that receives a write command to write data in the memory, write data to be written in the memory, and a read command to read data from the memory; a transmission interface that receives the write command, the write data, and the read command from the receiving unit, and sends the write command, the write data, and the read command to the transmission line; a reception interface that receives read data that is read from the memory via the reception line, and sends the read data to the receiving unit; a buffer that is configured to temporarily store therein at least one write command that is received by the receiving unit; a control unit that when the receiving unit receives a second write command while the transmission interface is in process of transmitting to the transmission line at least one of a first write command and write data corresponding to the first write command, causes the receiving unit to store the second write command in the buffer, and when the receiving unit receives a read command while the second write command is present in the buffer, causes the receiving unit to send the read command to the transmission interface prior to the second write command present in the buffer to the transmission interface; a counting unit that counts current number of subsequent read commands that overtake the second write command while the second write command is present in the buffer; and an allowable-number setting unit that sets an allowable number of subsequent read commands that are to overtake a proceeding write command while the proceeding write command is present in the buffer, wherein when the current number counted by the counting unit exceeds the allowable number, the control unit inhibits overtaking of the second write command by a subsequent read command and causes the receiving unit to send the second write command to the transmission interface.