H447: Unit 2: Understanding Interrupts in Computer Systems

What is the primary function of an interrupt in a computer system?

• To increase the processing speed of the CPU

• To signal the processor that an external device requires attention

• To decrease the memory usage of the system

• To enhance the graphics of the computer

What analogy is used to explain the concept of an interrupt?

• A traffic signal

• A pause button on a remote

• A student raising their hand in class

• A bookmarker in a book

What must the CPU do when an interrupt is received?

• Stop the current program to execute the interrupt service routine

• Continue executing the current program

• Ignore the interrupt

• Increase its clock speed

What is an interrupt service routine?

• A routine to increase CPU speed

• A set of operations to handle an interrupt

• A method to save data to the hard drive

• A protocol for data encryption

What is the purpose of the program counter in the context of interrupts?

• To monitor the temperature of the CPU

• To calculate the CPU speed

• To keep track of the number of interrupts

• To point to the next instruction to be executed

What is the role of the MAR and MDR in the context of interrupts?

• To store and retrieve data from memory

• To cool down the CPU

• To calculate the speed of the interrupt service routine

• To encrypt data being processed

What is the role of the stack when an interrupt is handled?

• To execute the interrupt service routine

• To save the current state of registers for later retrieval

• To store temporary data

• To increase CPU speed

What does the stack do during an interrupt?

• Directly executes the interrupt service routine

• Calculates the best response time

• Increases the processing power of the CPU

• Stores the current state of the program being interrupted

How does the system resume the original program after handling an interrupt?

• By asking the user to select the program again

• By restarting the computer

• By executing a special resume command

• By retrieving the saved state from the stack

What is required to resume the original program after an interrupt?

• A special command from the user

• Retrieval of the program's state from the stack

• A reset of the computer system

• Permission from the operating system