# Interrupt masking (ivss)

**Interrupt masking** defers selected hardware events through bits in `%status`. ivss uses bit zero for the timer, bit one for the terminal, and bit two as the shared hardware mask:

```asm
csrrd %status, %r1
ld $5, %r2          # bits 0 and 2
or %r2, %r1
csrwr %r1, %status
```

This sets the timer and global bits while retaining other status bits. A set mask disables delivery; it does not enable that source. Clearing the relevant bits permits delivery again when a request is pending and a handler exists.

The hardware cases explicitly check the shared and source-specific masks:

```c
if ((CSR[STATUS] & ST_MASK_INTERRUPTS) ||
    (CSR[STATUS] & ST_MASK_TIMER))
    continue;
```

A masked request remains pending because delivery, rather than masking, clears its flag. Timer and terminal entry set the global mask in the handler's status; the return frame retains the previous status for `iret`.

Software and invalid-instruction cases do not use these hardware-mask checks. The emulator's internal `INT_ENA` state is a separate gate, not another named control register.

Source: [emulator.c](https://github.com/yanevskiv/ivss/blob/main/src/emulator.c).