Understanding Interrupts in Computer Systems

What is an interrupt in a computer system?

• A method to increase processor speed

• A way to store data permanently

• A technique to improve graphics performance

• A signal that a device needs the processor's attention

What analogy is used to explain interrupts in the video?

• A student raising their hand to ask a question

• A chef cooking a meal

• A car stopping at a red light

• A bird flying south for the winter

How does the fetch-decode-execute cycle change with interrupts?

• It includes a step to check for new interrupts

• It skips the decode step

• It executes instructions twice

• It only fetches instructions

What is an interrupt service routine?

• A method to increase memory

• A routine to clean the computer system

• A program that handles the operations of an interrupt

• A way to improve network speed

What happens to the program counter during an interrupt?

• It changes to point to the first instruction of the interrupt

• It resets to zero

• It doubles its value

• It remains unchanged

What is the role of the stack when handling interrupts?

• To increase the speed of execution

• To permanently store data

• To manage memory allocation

• To store current register values for later retrieval

What happens when an interrupt occurs while another is being processed?

• The current interrupt is suspended and its state is saved

• The system crashes

• The new interrupt is ignored

• The processor restarts

How does the stack help in managing nested interrupts?

• By increasing the processor speed

• By deleting all previous interrupts

• By saving the state of each interrupt in a stack frame

• By reducing the number of interrupts

Why are interrupt priorities important?

• They increase the speed of the processor

• They reduce power consumption

• They determine which interrupt is processed first

• They improve graphics performance

What is a typical example of an interrupt in a computer system?

• Updating the operating system

• Running a virus scan

• Installing a new software

• Pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete to open Task Manager