Keskeytyskäsittelijän

Keskeytyskäsittelijään is a Finnish term that translates to "interrupt handler" in English. In computing, an interrupt handler is a piece of software or a routine that is triggered when a hardware interrupt occurs. Hardware interrupts are signals sent by hardware devices to the central processing unit (CPU) to indicate that an event requires immediate attention. This event could be anything from a keystroke being pressed on a keyboard to a network packet arriving.

When a hardware interrupt occurs, the CPU temporarily suspends its current task and jumps to a specific memory address where the interrupt handler for that particular device is located. The interrupt handler then performs the necessary actions to address the event. This might involve reading data from the device, updating system status, or signaling another part of the operating system. Once the interrupt handler has finished its work, it typically returns control to the interrupted program, allowing it to resume its execution from where it left off.

Efficient interrupt handling is crucial for the responsiveness and performance of a computer system. A well-designed interrupt handler can quickly acknowledge and process interrupts, minimizing delays and ensuring that the system can react promptly to external events. Conversely, slow or inefficient interrupt handlers can lead to dropped data, system lag, and a degraded user experience. The operating system's kernel typically manages the registration and execution of interrupt handlers for various hardware devices.