Comparators in IC with programmably controlled positive / negative hysteresis level and open-drain / push-pull output coupled to crossbar switch or rising / falling edge interrupt generation

An integrated circuit package includes a processing core for operating on a set of instructions to carry out predefined processes. A plurality of comparators perform compare operations within the integrated circuit package. At least one control register is associated with each of the plurality of comparators, and each of the plurality of comparators are software programmable to control a hysteresis of the comparators responsive to control bits established in the at least one control register of the comparator by the processing core. An amount of positive hysteresis is programmed via a first group of the control bits and an amount of negative hysteresis is programmed via a second group of the control bits.