keskeytyksistä

Keskeytyksistä, also known as interrupts in English, are signals sent to the processor by hardware or software that temporarily halt its current execution. These signals indicate that an event has occurred which requires immediate attention. When an interrupt is received, the processor suspends its ongoing task, saves its current state, and then executes a specific piece of code called an interrupt handler. This handler is designed to deal with the event that triggered the interrupt. Once the handler has finished its work, the processor restores its saved state and resumes the interrupted task.

Interrupts are a fundamental mechanism in modern computing, enabling efficient multitasking and responsiveness. They are broadly categorized into hardware interrupts and software interrupts. Hardware interrupts are generated by external devices like keyboards, mice, network cards, or timers to signal that they need the processor's attention, such as when a key is pressed or data has arrived. Software interrupts, on the other hand, are triggered by instructions within a running program. These are often used to request services from the operating system, such as accessing files or allocating memory.

The interrupt mechanism allows the processor to handle multiple tasks and events concurrently without constantly polling devices to check their status. This significantly improves system performance and allows for a more interactive user experience. The speed at which interrupts are processed and handled is crucial for the overall responsiveness of a computer system.