Interrupt: A signal informing a program that an event has occurred. When a program receives an interrupt signal, it takes a specified action (which can be to ignore the signal). Interrupt signals can cause a program to suspend itself temporarily to service the interrupt. Interrupt signals can come from a variety of sources. For example, every keystroke generates an interrupt signal. Interrupts can also be generated by other devices, such as a printer, to indicate that some event has occurred. These are called hardware interrupts. Interrupt signals initiated by programs are called software interrupts. A software interrupt is also called a trap or an exception. PCs support 256 types of software interrupts and 15 hardware interrupts. Each type of software interrupt is associated with an interrupt handler -- a routine key on your keyboard, this triggers a specific interrupt handler. The complete list of interrupts and associated interrupt handlers is stored in a table called the interrupt vector table, which resides in the first 1 K of addressable memory.

 

Related Words

Interrupt: A signal informing a program that an event has occurred. When a program receives an interrupt signal, it takes a specified action (which can be to ignore the signal). Interrupt signals can c . . . View Full Definition

Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS): A backup power unit that provides continuous power when the normal power supply is interrupted. UPS systems can be stand-by, only supplying power when the regular supply is interrupted, or f . . . View Full Definition

Interrupt Request (IRQ): A dedicated channel between main components in a computer used to tell the CPU to stop working and receive more data. IRQs can be shared by multiple devices though that sometimes causes IRQ . . . View Full Definition

International Six Day Enduro (ISDE): The oldest “off road” motorcycle event on the FIM Calendar. (Originally titled the “International Six Day Trial,” or ISDE, since 1980 it has been called the “ISD Enduro.”) First held in 1913 . . . View Full Definition