Types of Interrupt

Types of Interrupts

1. Hardware Interrupts

• Generated by hardware devices, such as keyboard, mouse, or network interface.
• Examples:
  • Keyboard interrupt: Generated when a key is pressed.
  • Mouse interrupt: Generated when the mouse is moved or a button is clicked.
  • Network interrupt: Generated when data is received over the network.

2. Software Interrupts

• Generated by software, such as a system call or exception.
• Examples:
  • System call interrupt: Generated when a program makes a system call.
  • Exception interrupt: Generated when an exception occurs, such as division by zero.

3. Maskable Interrupts

• Can be masked or disabled by the CPU.
• Examples:
  • Keyboard interrupt: Can be masked to prevent keyboard input from interrupting the CPU.

4. Non-Maskable Interrupts (NMI)

• Cannot be masked or disabled by the CPU.
• Examples:
  • System crash: An NMI can be generated when a system crash occurs.

5. Vectored Interrupts

• The interrupting device provides a vector (address) to the interrupt handler.
• Examples:
  • Interrupt controller: Provides a vector to the interrupt handler.

6. Non-Vectored Interrupts

• The CPU uses a fixed address for the interrupt handler.
• Examples:
  • Simple interrupt handler: Uses a fixed address for the interrupt handler.