Interrupt Definition/Meaning:

A signal to a processor indicating that an asynchronous event has occurred. The current sequence of instructions is temporarily suspended (interrupted), and a sequence appropriate to the interruption is started in its place. Interrupts can be broadly classified as being associated with one of the following.

(a) Events occurring on peripheral devices. A processor having initiated a transfer on a peripheral device on behalf of one process may start some other process. When the transfer terminates, the peripheral device will cause an interrupt.

(b) Voluntary events within processes. A process wishing to use the services of the operating system may use a specific type of interrupt, a supervisor call (SVC), as a means of notifying the supervisor.

(c) Involuntary events within processes. A process that attempts an undefined or prohibited action will cause an interrupt that will notify the supervisor.

(d) Action by operators. An operator wishing to communicate with the supervisor may cause an interrupt.

(e) Timer interrupts. Many systems incorporate a timer that causes interrupts at fixed intervals of time as a means of guaranteeing that the supervisor will be entered periodically. See also interrupt handler.

Near by Terms: Inactive Incidence Matrix Incompleteness Theorems Incremental Compiler Incremental Plotter Indeterminate System Index Indexed Addressing (indexing) Indexed File Index Register Indicator Indirect Addressing Induction Inequality Inference Infix Notation Information Information Hiding Information Management System Information Processing Information Storage and Retrieval Information Structure Information System Information Technology (IT) Information Theory INGRES Trademark Inherent Addressing Inherently Ambiguous Language Inhibit Initial Algebra Initialization Injection (one-to-one function) Ink Jet Printer In-Line Program Inner Code Inorder Traversal Input Input Area Input Device Input-Limited Process Input/Output (I/O) Inquiry Station Inscribe Insert Instantiation Instruction (instruction word) Instruction Counter (current address register; program counter) Instruction Cycle Instruction Format  Instruction Register Instruction Repertoire Instruction Sequencing Instruction Set Instruction Stream Integer Multiplication and Division Integrated Circuit (IC) Integrated Injection Logic Integrity Intel Intelligent Copier Intelligent Terminal Interactive Interactive Graphics Interblock Gap (IBG) Interface Interior Path Length of a Tree Interleaving Interlock Intermediate Storage Internal Fragmentation Internet Protocol (IP) Internetworking   Interpolation Interpreter Interpretive Language Interrogation     Interrupt Interrupt Handler (IH) Interrupt I/O Interrupt Mask Interrupt Priority Intersegment Linking Interval Tuner Intrinsic Semiconductor (i-type semiconductor) Invariant Inverse Matrix Inverted File Inverter (negator) Involution Operation