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This chart shows what happens when an interrupt is called

An interrupt is when something happens to a microprocessor that causes it to interrupt the currently running code to allow it to respond to the thing that happened. Interrupts usually occur because the processor gets a special signal from hardware, but they can also be caused by software. Many things can cause interrupts, including pressing keys on a keyboard, moving the mouse, the built-in timer going off, a data transfer taking place, or an event that was triggered which needs attention from the processor right away. Interrupts can happen at any time, no matter what program is running or where in the program's source code it is. view more...