answersLogoWhite

0


Best Answer

Interrupts are essential to the operation of a computer because they allow it to process service requests. Interrupts tell the computer to stop whatever it is doing and start some other task, such as handing the keyboard or mouse movement. When the task is complete, the interrupt finishes and the computer resumes whatever it was doing previously. Interrupt vectors allow for compatibility, since interrupt numbers can be standardized, and different interrupt code installed for similar devices from different vendors.

An interrupt vector table separates a hardware device that has events from the code that will process that event. A device (i.e. network card, keyboard, mouse, etc) generates an event and that event needs to trigger a message into some software application. That message might ultimately be ignored, but the responsibility of the hardware is to get that event into the computer. Hardware devices simply change state when events happen which then causes a memory mapped location for the hardware to change.

This change then triggers the OS to perform a simple look-up in the interrupt vector table and jump at the machine level to the machine code that will handle the interrupt. The machine code to handle the interrupt is known as the device driver or interrupt handler. That code will read any memory mapped locations related to the event and pass that information on to higher level software routines.

The simplicity of the interrupt vector table allows a complete separation between hardware devices and software OS. This is what allows a USB mouse to be used on different OS on a single machine or across different hardware architectures (i.e. Mac, Intel PC, etc).

The necessary evil of this scheme is that you can't use a device with an OS if there is no device driver for that OS. This is particularly frustrating to users who have a device that has a driver with one version of an OS "X", upgrades the OS to the next version "X+1", and finds that the driver philosophy has changed in "X+1" and the device can no longer be used.

User Avatar

Wiki User

10y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar
More answers
User Avatar

Wiki User

12y ago

the memory address of an interrupt handler or an index into an array is called interrupt vector table. interrupt vector table contain the memory adress of interrupt handler.

This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: What is mean by interrupt vector table?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Related questions

What do you mean by IVT in 8086?

Interrupt vector table


What is the use of interrupt vector?

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.


Where is interrupt handler and interrupt vector?

In the 8086/8088, the interrupt vector table is the first 1024 bytes of memory. In the 8085, the interrupt vector table is the first 64 bytes of memory if using the RST form of interrupt, otherwise the interrupt vector is provided by the interrupting device, usually in the form of a CALL instruction. The interrupt handler is wherever the interrupt vector points to.


What is the size of the interrupt vector table in the 8086-8088 microprocessor?

There are 256 different interrupt vectors in the 8086/8088. Each vector is a far CS:IP address, which is four bytes. That makes the interrupt vector table 1,024 bytes.


Where is the Full list of Interrupt Vector Table?

The interrupt vector table in the 8086/8088 is the first 1024 bytes in memory. There are 256 vectors, each containing 4 bytes, CS:IP, for each possible interrupt source.


Where will be the actual address of the subroutine is placed for vectored interrupts?

interrupt vector table


What is vector and non vector interrupts?

VECTOR INTERRUPT If the interrupt is assigned to any predefined branching address to its ISR it is termed as vector interrupt. NON VECTOR INTERRUPT If the interrupt is not assigned to any predefined branching address to its ISR it is termed as non-vector interrupt. PRIYAKRISH


Is interrupt vector is inside the kernel?

Yes, the interrupt vector is inside the kernel.


What is Non-interrupt vector?

If the interrupt is not assigned any predefined branching address to its ISR it is termed as non interrupt vector


What is interrpt request lines?

these are the block of code which tell the OS that a specific interrupt has arrived or to send interrupt request to some particular task. Interrupt is to stop the normal execution of the program and process the interrupt first according to it's priority in the interrupt vector table.


What is physical starting address and ending address of interrupt vector table of 8086?

The 8086 interrupt table is from 0000h to 03FFh for interrupt 0 through interrupt 255. It is common practice to design systems that use only the lower-numbered interrupts and then use the upper part of the interrupt table for code or data. For more information see: http://datasheets.chipdb.org/Intel/x86/808x/datashts/8086/231455-005.pdf


What does 5.5 mean in RST 5.5 interrupt of 8085 microprocessor?

The 5.5 in RST 5.5 means that the interrupt vector is located between RST 5 and RST 6.