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Interrupt handling in an ARM processor

Interrupt handling in an ARM processor

Andrew N.Sloss
Still RelevantIntermediate

This document is going to guide you at every step as you sit down to design the interrupt handling in software for an ARM system.


Summary

This paper walks readers through designing interrupt handling in software for ARM systems, covering the ARM exception model, ISR structure, and integration with system software. It teaches practical techniques for correct, low-latency, and maintainable interrupt implementations.

Key Takeaways

  • Explain the ARM interrupt and exception model, including IRQ/FIQ, the vector table, and prioritization behavior.
  • Design structured ISRs with correct prologue/epilogue, minimal work in interrupt context, and safe stack usage.
  • Implement efficient context save/restore and nesting to support nested interrupts and RTOS or bare-metal integration.
  • Optimize interrupt latency using priority management, tail-chaining, and hardware interrupt-controller features.
  • Handle deferred processing by using bottom-halves, task queues, or scheduler integration to keep ISRs short and deterministic.

Who Should Read This

Embedded firmware engineers with some ARM or microcontroller experience who need to design, review, or optimize interrupt handling for reliable, low-latency systems.

Still RelevantIntermediate

Topics

ARM Cortex-MFirmware DesignBare-Metal Programming

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