Three hardware devices need to communicate with the CPU simultaneously. Which of the following will each device need to issue?

Question

Options

• ADMA request
• BCON request
• CInterrupt request (IRQ)
• DInput/output request (I/O)

• A
  4% (3)
• B
  3% (2)
• C
  91% (62)
• D
  1% (1)

Explanation

When multiple hardware devices need to signal the CPU that they require attention simultaneously, each device issues an Interrupt Request (IRQ) - a hardware signal sent to the CPU that pauses its current task so it can service the device's needs via an Interrupt Service Routine (ISR).

Why the distractors are wrong:

• A. DMA request - Direct Memory Access lets a device transfer data to/from memory without CPU involvement; it's about bypassing the CPU, not alerting it.
• B. CON request - This is not a standard computer architecture term; it's a fabricated distractor.
• D. I/O request - An I/O request is a software-level operation (e.g., a program asking the OS to read a file), not the hardware signal a device sends to the CPU.

Memory tip: Think of IRQ as a device "raising its hand" to interrupt the teacher (CPU) - just like students in a classroom, multiple devices can raise their hands at once, and the teacher decides who to call on first based on priority (interrupt priority levels).

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