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- 2073 Bhadra · 2 marks
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Maskable vs non-maskable interrupts
Short answer
Maskable interrupts (8086 INTR, 8085 RST 5.5–7.5) can be disabled by clearing IF or setting mask bits; lower priority, used for I/O. Non-maskable (8086 NMI, 8085 TRAP) cannot be disabled by software, have highest priority, used for emergencies like power failure.
Differentiate between maskable and non-maskable interrupts.
| Basis | Maskable interrupt | Non-maskable interrupt |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Can be disabled (ignored) by software | Cannot be disabled by software |
| Control | Controlled by the interrupt flag (IF); DI/CLI disables, EI/STI enables | Not affected by IF |
| Priority | Lower | Highest |
| Typical use | Normal I/O devices (keyboard, printer) | Emergencies: power failure, memory parity error |
| 8085 / 8086 | 8085: RST 7.5, 6.5, 5.5, INTR; 8086: INTR | 8085: TRAP; 8086: NMI |
| Vector | Fixed for 8085 RST 7.5/6.5/5.5; for INTR it is supplied by the device or controller | Fixed (TRAP 0024H; NMI type 2) |
✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)
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