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RTEMS 4.6.1 On-Line Library


Initialization Code The Interrupt Vector Table

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7.4: The Interrupt Vector Table

  • Initialization Code Interrupt Vector Table on the gen68340 BSP
  • The Interrupt Vector Table is called different things on different processor families but the basic functionality is the same. Each entry in the Table corresponds to the handler routine for a particular interrupt source. When an interrupt from that source occurs, the specified handler routine is invoked. Some context information is saved by the processor automatically when this happens. RTEMS saves enough context information so that an interrupt service routine can be implemented in a high level language.

    On some processors, the Interrupt Vector Table is at a fixed address. If this address is in RAM, then usually the BSP only has to initialize it to contain pointers to default handlers. If the table is in ROM, then the application developer will have to take special steps to fill in the table.

    If the base address of the Interrupt Vector Table can be dynamically changed to an arbitrary address, then the RTEMS port to that processor family will usually allocate its own table and install it. For example, on some members of the Motorola MC68xxx family, the Vector Base Register (vbr) contains this base address.


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