Method and apparatus for prioritizing interrupts in a communication system

A communications system includes a communications channel, a first processing unit; and interface unit, and an interrupt controller. The first processing unit is adapted to monitor the communications channel and provide a plurality of status bits. The interface unit includes an interrupt register. The interrupt controller is adapted to identify a plurality of interrupts in response to changes in the status bits. Each interrupt has a priority, and the interrupt controller is adapted to store selected interrupts in the interrupt register in an order determined by the priority of the interrupts. A method includes monitoring a communications channel. A plurality of status bits associated with the monitoring are provided. A plurality of interrupts are identified based on changes in the status bits, each interrupt having a priority. Selected interrupts are stored in an interrupt queue in an order determined by the priority of the interrupts.