Interrupts are typically arranged to handle a variety of important tasks and events within a computer system. Here are some common arrangements:

• Hardware Interrupts: These are triggered by hardware devices to signal the CPU about an event that requires immediate attention. Examples include:
  • Device I/O completion (e.g., a disk drive finishing a read operation)
  • Hardware errors (e.g., memory errors)
  • Timer interrupts (used for scheduling tasks)
• Software Interrupts (Traps): These are triggered by software instructions, often used for:
  • System calls (requests from a user program to the operating system kernel)
  • Handling exceptional conditions (e.g., division by zero)
  • Debugging (breakpoints)
• Priority Levels: Interrupts are often assigned priority levels to ensure that more critical events are handled before less critical ones. A high-priority interrupt can interrupt a lower-priority interrupt.
• Interrupt Vectors: Each interrupt is associated with a specific interrupt vector, which is an address in memory that points to the interrupt handler routine. This allows the system to quickly locate the appropriate code to execute when an interrupt occurs.
• Interrupt Controllers: These are hardware components that manage interrupts, prioritizing them, and routing them to the CPU. Modern systems often use programmable interrupt controllers (PICs) or Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controllers (APICs) to provide flexible interrupt management.

Essentially, interrupts are arranged to provide a mechanism for the system to respond to events in a timely and efficient manner, ensuring that important tasks are handled promptly while allowing the CPU to continue with its normal processing.