Processor Status Word: Difference between revisions
From Computer History Wiki
Jump to navigationJump to search
m typo |
m Addvariant |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
The '''Processor Status Word''' (often given as '''PS''' for short, or some variant) is a [[register]] in the [[Central Processing Unit|CPU]] which records important information about the state of the CPU. | The '''Processor Status Word''' or '''Program Status Word''' (often given as '''PS''' for short, or some variant) is a [[register]] in the [[Central Processing Unit|CPU]] which records important information about the state of the CPU. | ||
Information typically present in the PS includes: | Information typically present in the PS includes: | ||
Revision as of 15:03, 11 June 2018
The Processor Status Word or Program Status Word (often given as PS for short, or some variant) is a register in the CPU which records important information about the state of the CPU.
Information typically present in the PS includes:
- whether interrupts are enabled;
- for time-sharing machines, whether the CPU is in 'User' or 'Kernel' mode;
- the condition codes, for machines which keep them in the PS.
Some machines (e.g. the PDP-10) include the Program Counter in the PS.
