Exceptions: Control Flow and Handling

This lecture covers the concepts of exceptions, interrupts, faults, traps, and checks in computer systems. It explains how control flow can change unexpectedly due to special conditions, leading to the need for exception handlers. The lecture delves into various types of exceptions such as arithmetic problems, memory protection violations, I/O device requests, and undefined instructions. It also discusses the classification of exceptions, handling arithmetic exceptions, undefined instruction exceptions, and memory protection violations. Additionally, it explores levels of privilege in processor modes, tasks performed by processors on exceptions, and challenges in writing exception handlers. The lecture concludes by highlighting the complexities of handling exceptions in high-performance processor designs.