Patent ID: 7685351

Claim:
An external device access apparatus which controls access from a master to an external device, said external device access apparatus comprising: a write address holder operable to hold a write address in response to a write request from the master to write to the external device; a write data holder operable to hold write data in response to the write request; a read address holder operable to hold a read address and which can be accessed from the master; a read data holder operable to hold data read from the external device and which can be accessed from the master; a status signal holder operable to hold a status signal which is outputted from the external device; and a controller operable to control the access to the external device in response to: the write request or a read request from the master; and an address specified by the master, wherein, in response to the write request from the master to write to the external device, said controller is operable to: hold the write address and the write data from the master in said write address holder and in said write data holder, respectively, output a reception signal to the master, and write the write data to the external device specified by the write address, and when the master holds the read address in said read address holder, said controller is operable to: read data from the external device specified by the read address, and hold the read data in said read data holder, and wherein said controller is further operable to: simultaneously write the data held in said write data holder to the external device, and hold the status signal outputted from the external device in said status signal holder, and simultaneously read the data from the external device specified by the address held in said read address holder so as to hold the read data in said read data holder, and hold the status signal outputted from the external device in said status signal holder, and said status signal holder outputs the held status signal to the master.