interrupt
Sign in to savethumb|350 px|Taxonomy of a simple interrupt
Article
24 sectionsContents
- History
- Types
- Hardware interrupts
- Masking
- Missing interrupts
- Spurious interrupts
- Software interrupts
- Terminology
- {{Anchor|MECHANISMS}}Triggering methods
- Level-triggered
- Edge-triggered
- Processor response
- System implementation
- Shared interrupt lines
- Difficulty with sharing interrupt lines
- Hybrid
- Doorbell
- Multiprocessor IPI
- {{Anchor|AFFINITY|RPS|RFS}}Performance
- Typical uses
- See also
- Notes
- References
- External links
thumb|350 px|Taxonomy of a simple interrupt
In digital computers, an interrupt is a request for the processor to interrupt currently executing code (when permitted), so that the event can be processed in a timely manner. If the request is accepted, the processor will suspend its current activities, save its state, and execute a function called an interrupt handler (or an interrupt service routine, ISR) to deal with the event. This interruption is often temporary, allowing the software to resume normal activities after the interrupt handler finishes, although the interrupt could instead indicate a fatal error.