Interrupting an FDE cycle
Interrupt is a signal sent from a peripheral device or program to the processor to indicate that the sender needs attention. This leaves the operation system entirely free to process other tasks until its attention is needed. A system in which peripheral device signals that it needs the attention of the operating system is called an interrupt system.
An application program can also generate interrupts. An application program can use a software interrupt to request a service from the operating system. The sort of service an application requires would include opening a file from a disk drive or exiting the application. This is known as a 'system call'.
An application program can also generate interrupts. An application program can use a software interrupt to request a service from the operating system. The sort of service an application requires would include opening a file from a disk drive or exiting the application. This is known as a 'system call'.