diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'src/intro.tex')
| -rw-r--r-- | src/intro.tex | 20 |
1 files changed, 13 insertions, 7 deletions
diff --git a/src/intro.tex b/src/intro.tex index 2896e9d..1dedd08 100644 --- a/src/intro.tex +++ b/src/intro.tex @@ -522,16 +522,11 @@ opcode fields. We use the term {\em exception} to refer to an unusual condition occurring at run time associated with an instruction in the current -RISC-V thread. We use the term {\em trap} to refer to the synchronous +RISC-V hart. We use the term {\em trap} to refer to the synchronous transfer of control to a trap handler caused by an exceptional -condition occurring within a RISC-V thread. Trap handlers usually +condition occurring within a RISC-V hart. Trap handlers usually execute in a more privileged environment. -We use the term {\em interrupt} to refer to an external event that -occurs asynchronously to the current RISC-V thread. When an interrupt -that must be serviced occurs, some instruction is selected to receive -an interrupt exception and subsequently experiences a trap. - The instruction descriptions in following chapters describe conditions that raise an exception during execution. Whether and how these are converted into traps is dependent on the execution environment, though @@ -540,6 +535,17 @@ trap when an exception is signaled (except for floating-point exceptions, which, in the standard floating-point extensions, do not cause traps). +We use the term {\em interrupt} to refer to an external asynchronous +event that causes a RISC-V hart to stop execution {\em precisely} on +some instruction and then to enter an interrupt handler. Some +execution environments might not make interrupts visible to the +software running inside an execution environment (e.g., if more +privileged software implementing the environment respond to external +interrupts). When interrupts are made visible within an execution +environment, some software interface must be defined within the +execution environment to determine and service the cause of the +interrupt, and to restore regular execution of the interrupted hart. + \begin{commentary} Our use of ``exception'' and ``trap'' matches that in the IEEE-754 floating-point standard. |