interrupt request


interrupt request

(IRQ) The name of an input found on many processors whichcauses the processor to suspend normal instruction executiontemporarily and to start executing an interrupt handlerroutine. Such an input may be either "level sensitive" -the interrupt condition will persist as long as the input isactive or "edge triggered" - an interrupt is signalled by alow-to-high or high-to-low transition on the input. Someprocessors have several interrupt request inputs allowingdifferent priority interrupts.