What Happens When More Than One Interrupt Occurs Simultaneously in Embedded Systems?

When multiple interrupts occur simultaneously in an embedded system, the processor employs a mechanism called interrupt priority to determine which interrupt to handle first. Each interrupt source is assigned a priority level, with the highest priority interrupt being serviced first.

The processor suspends the current task it is executing and services the highest priority interrupt. This process is known as interrupt nesting. Once the interrupt is serviced, the processor returns to the interrupted task. If another interrupt occurs while handling an interrupt, it will be queued and serviced once the current interrupt is completed.

It is crucial for embedded system developers to carefully assign interrupt priorities to ensure that critical interrupts are serviced first and that system performance is optimized. Proper handling of multiple interrupts is essential for maintaining real-time responsiveness in embedded systems.