Interrupt vector

(computer science) A list comprising the locations of various interrupt handlers.

In the PC, one of 256 pointers that reside in the first 1KB of memory. Each vector points to a routine in the BIOS or elsewhere in memory, which handles the interrupt.

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An interrupt vector is the memory address of an interrupt handler, or an index into an array called an interrupt vector table or dispatch table. Interrupt vector tables contain the memory addresses of interrupt handlers. When an interrupt is generated, the processor saves its execution state via a context switch, and begins execution of the interrupt handler at the interrupt vector.

See also

• Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller
• Programmable Interrupt Controller
• Inter-Processor Interrupt
• Interrupt
• Interrupt Handler
• Interrupt Latency
• Non-Maskable Interrupt

External links

• Webopedia definition of 'interrupt vector table'

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