Exception handling theory defines a control transfer mechanism triggered by internal errors (e.g., overflow) or external events (e.g., interrupts), requiring the processor to break execution flow, save state context via hardware registers like EPC and Cause, execute specialized handler routines, and conditionally resume normal operation. This concept belongs to computer architecture within microprogrammed multi-cycle datapaths, governing how systems maintain stability through synchronous/asynchronous event classification and vectorized versus non-vectorized response strategies. Theoretically, it extends the finite state machine model of a processor by introducing specific transitions that alter Program Counter behavior based on interrupt masks and priority definitions rather than standard instruction sequences.
Exception handling theory defines a control transfer mechanism triggered by internal errors (e.g., overflow) or external events (e.g., interrupts), requiring the processor to break execution flow, sa…