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Interrupt

Interrupts occurs OSCA

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28 views3 pages

Interrupt

Interrupts occurs OSCA

Uploaded by

juniorjkberlin
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Interrupts are signals that inform a processor about an event that needs immediate attention.

They
temporarily halt the current operations, save the state of the system, and execute a function or
service routine to address the event. Once the interrupt is serviced, the processor resumes its
previous task.

## Types of Interrupts

1. **Hardware Interrupts**: Generated by hardware devices (e.g., keyboard, mouse, network


card) to signal that they need processing.
2. **Software Interrupts**: Generated by software instructions, typically by using specific
commands in the program (e.g., system calls).

## How Interrupts Occur

1. **Interrupt Signal**: A device or software event generates an interrupt signal.


2. **Interrupt Controller**: The signal is sent to the interrupt controller, which manages multiple
interrupt requests and prioritizes them.
3. **Interrupt Request (IRQ)**: The interrupt controller sends an IRQ to the CPU.
4. **Interrupt Handling**: The CPU stops executing the current instructions, saves its state, and
jumps to the interrupt service routine (ISR) to handle the interrupt.
5. **Interrupt Service Routine (ISR)**: The ISR is a special function that contains the code to
handle the interrupt.
6. **Return from Interrupt**: After the ISR completes, the CPU restores its previous state and
resumes execution from where it was interrupted.

## Terms Used in Interrupts

1. **Interrupt Request (IRQ)**: A signal sent to the CPU by hardware or software indicating an
event needing immediate attention.
2. **Interrupt Service Routine (ISR)**: A special function or handler that executes in response to
an interrupt.
3. **Interrupt Vector Table (IVT)**: A table that holds the addresses of ISRs for different
interrupt types.
4. **Maskable Interrupts**: Interrupts that can be ignored or "masked" by the CPU if necessary.
5. **Non-Maskable Interrupts (NMI)**: High-priority interrupts that cannot be ignored by the
CPU.
6. **Interrupt Controller**: A device that manages multiple interrupts and prioritizes them
before sending them to the CPU.
7. **Context Switching**: The process of saving the state of the current task and restoring the
state of the ISR.
8. **Polling**: An alternative to interrupts where the CPU continuously checks the status of a
device to see if it needs attention.
9. **Latency**: The delay between the generation of an interrupt and the start of the ISR.

## Detailed Explanation

### 1. Interrupt Signal


An interrupt signal can be generated by various sources, such as a hardware device needing
service (e.g., keyboard input) or software encountering an exceptional condition (e.g., divide by
zero).

### 2. Interrupt Controller


Modern CPUs often use an interrupt controller, such as the Programmable Interrupt Controller
(PIC) or Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller (APIC), to manage multiple interrupt
signals and determine their priority.

### 3. Interrupt Request (IRQ)


When an interrupt occurs, the interrupt controller sends an IRQ to the CPU. The CPU recognizes
this request and prepares to handle the interrupt by temporarily suspending its current activities.

### 4. Interrupt Handling


The CPU acknowledges the interrupt and uses the Interrupt Vector Table (IVT) to find the
address of the appropriate ISR. It then saves the current state of the CPU, including the program
counter and register values, to ensure it can resume its previous task after handling the interrupt.

### 5. Interrupt Service Routine (ISR)


The ISR contains the specific instructions to handle the interrupt. For example, if a keyboard
interrupt occurs, the ISR will read the key pressed and process it accordingly. The ISR is a
critical part of the interrupt handling process and must be designed to execute quickly and
efficiently to minimize the time the CPU spends handling the interrupt.

### 6. Return from Interrupt


After the ISR completes its task, the CPU restores the previously saved state, including the
program counter and registers, and resumes execution from the point where it was interrupted.
This process ensures that the interrupt handling is transparent to the running application, aside
from the time taken to service the interrupt.

### Example of an Interrupt Handling Sequence


1. A key is pressed on the keyboard.
2. The keyboard controller generates an interrupt signal.
3. The interrupt controller receives the signal and sends an IRQ to the CPU.
4. The CPU saves its current state and uses the IVT to locate the ISR for the keyboard interrupt.
5. The ISR reads the key pressed and updates the corresponding buffer or status.
6. The ISR completes, and the CPU restores its previous state.
7. The CPU resumes execution from where it was interrupted.

By understanding interrupts and their handling mechanisms, systems can achieve efficient and
responsive operation, allowing the CPU to respond quickly to important events while continuing
to execute its primary tasks.

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