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Question

What is the function of the INTA’ signal in the 8085 microprocessor?

This question was previously asked in
RRB JE 2025 CBT 2 Mechanical and Allied Engg Question Paper English (2-Jul-2026) (Shift-1)
The correct answer is

To acknowledge an interrupt request

The 8085 uses a vectored/non-vectored interrupt handshake, and the INTA' (Interrupt Acknowledge) pin is the microprocessor's active-LOW reply to the general-purpose INTR interrupt input. It is an output signal, and its whole purpose is to tell the interrupting device, "I have seen your request and I am ready to service it — now put your instruction on the data bus."

The complete sequence works like this:

  1. An external device drives the INTR pin HIGH to request service.
  2. The 8085 finishes executing the current instruction (it never interrupts mid-instruction).
  3. It samples INTR during the last clock state; if interrupts are enabled (a prior EI was executed and the interrupt-enable flip-flop is set), it accepts the request.
  4. The processor issues INTA' = LOW to acknowledge the interrupt request. This is exactly the function asked for.
  5. The device, on seeing INTA', places an RST opcode (or a CALL) on the data bus; the CPU pushes the program counter onto the stack and branches to the interrupt service routine.

Why the other choices are wrong: enabling and disabling interrupts is done in software by the EI and DI instructions (and by the interrupt-enable flip-flop), not by any pin called INTA'. Resetting the processor is the job of the separate RESET IN' input, which clears the program counter and internal registers — a completely different operation. Thus INTA' neither enables, disables, nor resets; it strictly acknowledges an interrupt request.

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Important Questions from Instruction Set of 8085

  1. Calculate the time required to execute the entire instruction cycle if two machine codes, 0011 1110 and 0011 0010, are stored in memory locations 2000H and 2001H, respectively.

    If the clock frequency is 2 MHz, the first machine code represents opcode to load data byte in the accumulator and the second code represents data to be loaded in the accumulator.

  2. Following instruction is executed in 8085, LDB 4000H

    Identify the correct statement.

  3. In 8085A microprocessor, the operation performed by the instruction LHLD 2100H is

  4. __________ address instruction is supplied to the microprocessor by an external device for INTR signal acknowledgement.

  5. A fetch cycle is the

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