Short for interrupt request, an IRQ is a signal sent to the computer processor to stop (interrupt) it momentarily. IBM compatible computers go up to IRQ 15 and are prioritized in the computer according to the importance of the device. Today, most users don’t need to worry about IRQ settings because all devices are now plug and play, which means they are configured automatically. The following table is an overview of the traditional IBM IRQ’s, I/O ports, and their related devices.

Computer acronyms, Device, DMA, Hardware conflict, Hardware terms, Interrupts, IRQL, Resource

Technically there are 16 IRQs if you count IRQ 0. The system timer and all IRQs above 15 are known as virtual IRQs and handled by both the operating system and APIC.

  • Additional information about PC compatible system resources.