Final answer:
In MIPS architecture, an overflow is detected by raising an exception. An arithmetic overflow exception is triggered when a result is too large to be represented, which prompts the system to handle the situation appropriately.
Step-by-step explanation:
MIPS (Microprocessor without Interlocked Pipeline Stages) detects an overflow using exceptions. When an arithmetic operation such as addition or subtraction results in a value too large (or too small in the case of underflow) to be represented within the fixed size of the operation's result, the processor recognizes this condition and triggers an exception. Specifically, it raises an arithmetic overflow exception, which is a type of interrupt signal that informs the system that an exceptional condition requiring attention has occurred. The system then invokes an exception handler that can decide what action should be taken, such as aborting the operation, signaling the error to the calling procedures, or attempting to correct the value.
In MIPS, an overflow occurs when the result of an arithmetic operation exceeds the range that can be represented by the given number of bits. MIPS detects an overflow using control signals.When an overflow occurs, a control signal called the Overflow (OV) is set to 1. The Overflow signal is then used to trigger specific actions, such as setting an exception flag or stopping the execution of the program.This is different from the Exception signal (EX) in MIPS, which is used for other types of exceptions, such as invalid memory access or division by zero.