Interrupt request (PC architecture)
Okay, imagine you're playing with some toys and having lots of fun. Suddenly, someone comes up to you and says it's time to eat lunch. You weren't expecting to stop playing so soon and you might not want to go, but you have to because the person who interrupted your playtime is in charge.
A computer works kind of like this too! It has lots of different things it's doing at the same time, but sometimes something more important comes up and the computer has to stop what it's doing and deal with the new thing. This is called an "interrupt request" or "IRQ" for short.
When a computer gets an IRQ, it's kind of like someone telling it that it's time to do something else immediately. The computer has to stop whatever it was doing and deal with the new request. IRQs can come from all kinds of sources, like the keyboard or the mouse or other hardware devices that a computer uses.
So, imagine you're playing your favorite game on your computer when suddenly your mom wants you to come help her do something. You weren't expecting to stop playing the game so soon and you might not want to go, but you have to because your mom is in charge. This is kind of like an interrupt request on a computer - it's a signal that there's something more important that needs to be done right now, so the computer has to pause what it's doing and take care of the new task before going back to the game.
A computer works kind of like this too! It has lots of different things it's doing at the same time, but sometimes something more important comes up and the computer has to stop what it's doing and deal with the new thing. This is called an "interrupt request" or "IRQ" for short.
When a computer gets an IRQ, it's kind of like someone telling it that it's time to do something else immediately. The computer has to stop whatever it was doing and deal with the new request. IRQs can come from all kinds of sources, like the keyboard or the mouse or other hardware devices that a computer uses.
So, imagine you're playing your favorite game on your computer when suddenly your mom wants you to come help her do something. You weren't expecting to stop playing the game so soon and you might not want to go, but you have to because your mom is in charge. This is kind of like an interrupt request on a computer - it's a signal that there's something more important that needs to be done right now, so the computer has to pause what it's doing and take care of the new task before going back to the game.