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IRQ stands for interrupt request. It can be generated by internal or
external hardware or by software wishing to get the computer's attention. A
hardware IRQ is initiated when an interrupting device causes a change of
state on a signal line wired to a hardware interrupt handler. This device
records the change of state in the line, the line's address, and any data
sent by the interrupting device. It then sends a signal to the computer's
central processing unit. According to a pre-ordained priority order, the
computer stops what it is doing and runs an interrupt program to find out
what the attention-getter wants and provide whatever processing power is
needed. A software IRQ is initiated by strategically-placed program code;
when the central processing unit executes this code, it acts similarly.
