Interrupts

Technical Description

A good description of an interrupt and it’s importance to the IBM PC can be found in the book ‘Peter Norton’s Inside the PC, Premier Edition’:

“One of the key things that makes a computer different from any other kind of man-made machine is that computers have the capability to respond to the unpredictable variety of work that comes to them. The key to this capability is a feature known as interrupts. The interrupt feature enables the computer to suspend whatever it is doing and switch to something else in response to an interruption, such as the press of a key on the keyboard.”

A good analogy of a PC interrupt would be the phone ringing. The phone ‘bell’ is a request for us to stop what we are currently doing and take up another task (speak to the person on the other end of the line). This is the same process the PC uses to alert the CPU that a task must be preformed. The CPU upon receiving an interrupt makes a record of what the processor was doing at the time and stores this information on the ‘stack’; this allows the processor to resume its predefined duties after the interrupt is handled, exactly where it left off. Every main sub-system in the PC has it’s own interrupt, frequently called an IRQ (short for Interrupt ReQuest)..

In these early days of PC’s it was decided that the ability to share IRQs was an important feature for any add-in I/O card. Consider that in the IBM XT the available IRQs were IRQ0 through IRQ7. Of these interrupts only IRQ2-5 and IRQ7 were actually available for use. This made the IRQ a very valuable system resource. To make the maximum use of these system resources an IRQ sharing circuit was devised that allowed more than one port to use a selected IRQ. This worked fine as a hardware solution but presented the software designer with a challenge to identify the source of the interrupt. The software designer frequently used a technique referred to as ‘round robin polling’. This method required the interrupt service routine to ‘poll’ or interrogate each UART as to it’s interrupt pending status. This method of polling was sufficient for use with slower speed communications, but as modems increased their through put abilities this method of servicing shared IRQs became inefficient.

OMG-ULTRA-COMM422

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RS-422/485 specifications

Omega Engineering is a renowned leader in the field of measurement and control technologies, particularly in the realm of data communication for industrial automation. The RS-422 and RS-485 protocols are part of Omega's robust offering, designed to facilitate reliable and efficient data transmission over relatively long distances. These protocols are widely used in various applications ranging from industrial machinery to building automation systems.

One of the main features of RS-422 is its ability to support long-distance communication, allowing data to be transmitted up to 4,000 feet (approximately 1,200 meters) at speeds of up to 10 Mbps. This is achieved through the use of differential signaling, which provides improved noise immunity compared to single-ended signaling systems. RS-422 employs a single transmitter and multiple receivers, making it ideal for point-to-multipoint configurations.

On the other hand, RS-485 extends the capabilities of RS-422 by allowing multiple devices to be connected on the same bus. It supports up to 32 devices, which can be either transmitters or receivers, making it exceptionally versatile for networking applications. RS-485 can communicate effectively over distances up to 4,000 feet and at speeds of 10 Mbps as well. This makes it an attractive option for applications where several devices need to communicate with a central controller.

An essential characteristic of both protocols is their resilience to electromagnetic interference, which is often a concern in industrial environments. The differential signaling used in RS-422 and RS-485 reduces noise susceptibility, ensuring data integrity even in challenging conditions. Additionally, these protocols function effectively in half-duplex or full-duplex modes, providing flexibility based on application requirements.

Moreover, Omega Engineering’s implementations of RS-422 and RS-485 comply with established standards, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of devices. This interoperability is crucial for seamless integration into existing systems and enhancing overall productivity.

In summary, Omega Engineering's RS-422 and RS-485 technologies offer robust, reliable, and versatile solutions for data communication in industrial settings. With features such as long-distance communication, multiple device connections, and exceptional noise immunity, these protocols continue to serve as foundational technologies in various automation and control applications. As industries evolve, Omega Engineering remains committed to advancing these technologies to meet the growing demands of modern data communication.