This document provides an overview of interrupt programming on the 8051 microcontroller. It discusses interrupt sources and priority levels, the interrupt vector table, registers used by interrupts, hardware and software steps to enable interrupts, external interrupts including level-triggered vs. edge-triggered modes, and sampling of external interrupts. It also gives an example of using interrupts to design an 8051 furnace controller that maintains room temperature within 1 degree Celsius of 20 degrees Celsius using temperature sensors connected to external interrupts.