---
title: IODelay
framework: kernel
role: symbol
role_heading: Function
path: kernel/1575328-iodelay
---

# IODelay

Spin delay for a number of microseconds.

## Declaration

```occ
void IODelay(unsigned int microseconds);
```

## Parameters

- `microseconds`: The integer number of microseconds to spin wait.

## Discussion

Discussion This function spins to delay for at least the number of specified microseconds. Since the CPU is busy spinning no time is made available to other processes; this method of delay should be used only for short periods. Also, the AbsoluteTime based APIs of kern/clock.h provide finer grained and lower cost delays.

## See Also

### Sleep

- [IOPause](kernel/1575333-iopause.md)
- [IOSleep](kernel/1575320-iosleep.md)
- [IOSleepWithLeeway](kernel/1575303-iosleepwithleeway.md)