[ The PC Guide | Systems and Components Reference Guide | Motherboard and System Devices | System Resources | Interrupts (IRQs) | IRQ Details By Number ]

IRQ6

IRQ Number: 6

16-Bit Priority: 14

Bus Line: 8/16-bit

Typical Default Use: Floppy disk controller.

Other Common Uses: Tape accelerator cards.

Description: This interrupt is reserved for use by the floppy disk controller. Technically, it is available for use by other devices, and some devices will allow you to select IRQ6. Most however do not, realizing that virtually every PC uses at least one floppy disk drive. The most common devices that will let you use IRQ6 are probably tape drive accelerator cards. This is probably because these cards are used for tape drives that run off the floppy interface, and many of them can be set to drive floppy disks themselves.

Conflicts: Conflicts on IRQ6 are uncommon and are usually the result of an incorrectly configured peripheral card, since IRQ6 is pretty standardized in its use for the floppy disks. If you use a tape accelerator card along with an integrated floppy disk controller on your motherboard, watch out for the accelerator trying to take over IRQ6; some even do this by default.

Next: IRQ7

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