Interrupt

What is an Interrupt?

• An event generated by hardware or software in a computer system.

• Interrupts suspend the current program's flow and allow the system to handle another event or operation.

• Interrupts are used to manage system responsiveness and multitasking.

When Do Interrupts Occur?

Hardware Interrupt

• Generated by external hardware devices (e.g., keyboard, mouse, timer, etc.) when they need attention.

• Through this, the system can interact with the device or perform necessary operations.

Software Interrupt

• Explicitly generated by a program, or by exceptional situations (e.g., division by zero, memory access error, etc.).

• Used to handle abnormal program behavior or errors.

Summary

• Interrupt handling is performed by the operating system or hardware.

• When an interrupt occurs, the currently executing operation is suspended, and the system handles the interrupt.

• Afterward, the previous operation may resume or switch to another operation.

• Interrupts are an important concept for maintaining system efficiency, responsiveness, and stability, and are supported by various operating systems and computer architectures.