METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRIORITIZING INTERRUPTS IN A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

摘要

A communications system (100) includes a communications channel (101), a first processing unit (115), an interface unit (120), and an interrupt controller (210). The first processing unit (115) is adapted to monitor the communications channel (101) and provide a plurality of status bits. The interface unit (120) includes an interrupt register (215). The interrupt controller (210) is adapted to identify a plurality of interrupts in response to changes in the status bits. Each interrupt has a priority, and the interrupt controller (210) is adapted to store selected interrupts in the interrupt register (215) in an order determined by the priority of the interrupts. A method includes monitoring a communications channel (101). A plurality of status bits associated with the monitoring are provided. A plurality of interrupts are identified based on changes in the status bits, each interrupt having a priority. Selected interrupts are stored in an interrupt queue (22, 225, 230) in an order determined by the priority of the interrupts.