Question

If the number of cycles spent busy - waiting is not excessive, then :

a) Interrupt driven I/O is more efficient than programmed I/O
b) Programmed I/O is more efficient than interrupt driven I/O
c) Both programmed and interrupt driven I/O are equally efficient
d) None of these

Answer 1

Interrupt driven I/O and Programmed I/O are equally efficient if busy-waiting is not excessive.

Step-by-step explanation:

If the number of cycles spent busy-waiting is not excessive, then neither Interrupt driven I/O nor Programmed I/O is more efficient than the other. Both types of I/O are equally efficient in this case.

Interrupt driven I/O refers to a system where the processor is interrupted when an I/O operation is completed, allowing the processor to perform other tasks while waiting for the I/O operation to finish. On the other hand, Programmed I/O involves the processor directly controlling the I/O operations and waiting for them to complete before moving on to other tasks.

In cases where the number of cycles spent busy-waiting is excessive, Interrupt driven I/O is more efficient as it allows the processor to perform other tasks while waiting for I/O operations to complete. However, in situations where busy-waiting is not excessive, both Interrupt driven I/O and Programmed I/O are equally efficient choices.