In a computer, a vectored interrupt is an I/O interrupt that tells the part of the computer that handles I/O interrupts at the hardware level that a request for attention from an I/O device has been received and and also identifies the device that sent the request.

What happens in a vectored interrupt?

Vectored interrupts are achieved by assigning each interrupting device a unique code, typically four to eight bits in length. When a device interrupts, it sends its unique code over the data bus to the processor, telling the processor which interrupt service routine to execute.

What do interrupt vectors contain?

“An interrupt vector is the memory address of an interrupt handler, or an index into an array called an interrupt vector table or dispatch table . Interrupt vector tables contain the memory addresses of interrupt handlers.”