Software And Hardware Interrupts In 8085

Introduction

The 8085 microprocessor has two types of interrupts: software and hardware. Software interrupts are caused by an instruction in the program, while hardware interrupts are caused by an external event. Hardware interrupts can be further divided into maskable and non-maskable interrupts. Maskable interrupts can be disabled by the processor, while non-maskable interrupts cannot be disabled. Both types of interrupts have their advantages and disadvantages, which we will discuss in this blog post.

What are software and hardware interrupts?

When a computer is running a program, it is constantly checking for events that may need attention. These events are called interrupts. An interrupt is a signal that tells the computer to stop what it is doing and do something else. There are two types of interrupts: software and hardware.

Software interrupts are generated by software programs. For example, a software interrupt is generated when you press a key on your keyboard. The interruption tells the computer to stop what it is doing and read the key that was pressed.

Hardware interrupts are generated by hardware devices. For example, a hardware interrupt is generated if you plug a USB drive into your computer. The interruption tells the computer to stop what it is doing and check for any new devices that have been plugged in.

The 8085 microprocessor

Interrupts are a vital part of any operating system, and the 8085 microprocessor is no exception. Two types of interrupts can occur on the 8085 microprocessor: software and hardware interrupt.

Software interrupts are caused by an instruction being executed by the processor. The most common type of software interrupt is the INT instruction. This instruction will cause the processor to jump to a specific address in memory, called the interrupt vector. The interrupt vector contains the address of the interrupt handler, which is a piece of code that deals with the interrupt.

Hardware interrupts are caused by external devices, such as peripherals or sensors. The processor will jump to a special address called the interrupt vector when a hardware interrupt occurs. The interrupt vector contains the address of the interrupt handler, which is a piece of code that deals with the interrupt.

Both software and hardware interrupts can be disabled by setting the appropriate bit in the processor’s status register.

Software interrupts

Interrupts are a central part of any operating system, and understanding how they work is critical to programming effectively. There are two types of interrupts: software and hardware.

Software interrupts are generated by the CPU when an instruction is issued that cannot be handled by the current running program. For example, if a program is trying to access memory that doesn’t exist, the CPU will generate a software interrupt to ask the operating system to handle the error. The operating system can then either kill the offending program or try to recover from the error.

Hardware interrupts are generated by hardware devices when they need attention from the CPU. For example, if a keyboard key is pressed, the keyboard will send a hardware interrupt request to the CPU. The CPU will then suspend whatever it is doing and execute the interrupt handler for the keyboard. After the interrupt handler has finished, it will return to what it was doing before the interrupt occurred.

Both types of interrupts are important for a well-functioning system, but handling them correctly can be tricky. In this article, we’ll take a look at how both types of interrupts work and some common issues that can occur when working with them.

Hardware interrupts

Hardware interrupts are a type of interrupt that originate from hardware devices, rather than from software. They can be generated by a variety of sources, including I/O devices, timers, and network controllers. When a hardware interrupt occurs, the processor immediately stops what it is doing and executes a special piece of code called an interrupt handler. The interrupt handler typically performs some brief task and then returns control to the interrupted program.

There are two main types of hardware interrupts: masked and non-masked. Masked interrupts are disabled while the processor is executing an interrupt handler; non-masked interrupts are not disabled. Masked interrupts must be explicitly enabled by the programmer before they can be used; non-masked interrupts are always enabled.

Hardware interrupts can be a source of bugs in programs because they can occur at any time, even when the processor is in the middle of executing another piece of code. This can lead to problems such as memory corruption or data loss. Programmers need to be aware of these potential problems and take steps to avoid them.

Conclusion

Interrupts are a very important part of 8085 programmings. They allow the processor to stop what it is doing and service an external event. Interrupts can come from either software or hardware, and each type has its advantages and disadvantages. In general, however, interrupts are a very powerful tool that can be used to great effect in many different types of programs.