interrupt request

(IRQ) The name of an input found on many processors which

causes the processor to suspend normal instruction execution

temporarily and to start executing an interrupt handler

routine. Such an input may be either "level sensitive" -

the interrupt condition will persist as long as the input is

active or "edge triggered" - an interrupt is signalled by a

low-to-high or high-to-low transition on the input. Some

processors have several interrupt request inputs allowing

different priority interrupts.

(1994-12-08)