DO-178C
Encyclopedia
DO-178C, Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification is the title of an upcoming document published by RTCA, Incorporated, in a joint effort with EUROCAE. This will replace DO-178B
to be the primary document by which the certification authorities such as FAA
, EASA
and Transport Canada
will approve all commercial software-based aerospace systems.
The new document will be called DO-178C/ED-12C and is due to be finalized in 2011.
The Model Based Design
and Verification
subgroup (SG4), is the largest of the working groups. All work is collected and coordinated via a web-site that is a collaborative work management mechanism. Working artifacts and draft documents are held in a restricted area available to group members only.
The work is focused on bringing DO-178B/ED-12B up to date with respect to current software development practices, tools, and technologies.
) and that of software requirements and software design (which is the domain of DO-178B
). Other topics such as what does verification mean in a model-based development paradigm and can model simulation or formal methods replace some or all software testing activities.
DO-178B
DO-178B, Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification is a document dealing with the safety of software used in airborne systems....
to be the primary document by which the certification authorities such as FAA
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
, EASA
European Aviation Safety Agency
The European Aviation Safety Agency is an agency of the European Union with offices in Cologne, Germany, which has been given regulatory and executive tasks in the field of civilian aviation safety. It was created on 15 July 2002, and it reached full functionality in 2008, taking over functions...
and Transport Canada
Transport Canada
Transport Canada is the department within the government of Canada which is responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities portfolio...
will approve all commercial software-based aerospace systems.
The new document will be called DO-178C/ED-12C and is due to be finalized in 2011.
Committee organization
The committee work is divided into seven Subgroups:- SG1: SCWG Document Integration
- SG2: Issues and Rationale
- SG3: Tool Qualification
- SG4: Model Based Design and Verification
- SG5: Object-Oriented Technology
- SG6: Formal Methods
- SG7: Safety Related Considerations
The Model Based Design
Model based design
Model-Based Design is a mathematical and visual method of addressing problems associated with designing complex control, signal processing and communication systems. It is used in many motion control, industrial equipment, aerospace, and automotive applications...
and Verification
Software verification
Software verification is a broader and more complex discipline of software engineering whose goal is to assure that software fully satisfies all the expected requirements.There are two fundamental approaches to verification:...
subgroup (SG4), is the largest of the working groups. All work is collected and coordinated via a web-site that is a collaborative work management mechanism. Working artifacts and draft documents are held in a restricted area available to group members only.
The work is focused on bringing DO-178B/ED-12B up to date with respect to current software development practices, tools, and technologies.
Differences with DO-178B
SC-205 is responsible for revising DO-178B/ED-12B to bring it up to date with respect to current software development and verification technologies, for example:- addressing software modeling and the ability to use modeling to supplant some of the verification techniques required in DO-178B
- addressing object-oriented softwareObject-oriented programmingObject-oriented programming is a programming paradigm using "objects" – data structures consisting of data fields and methods together with their interactions – to design applications and computer programs. Programming techniques may include features such as data abstraction,...
and the conditions under which it can be used - addressing formal methodsFormal methodsIn computer science and software engineering, formal methods are a particular kind of mathematically-based techniques for the specification, development and verification of software and hardware systems...
to complement dynamic testing - clarifying software tools and avionics tool qualification
Criticisms
There are strong calls by DERs (FAA Designated Engineering Representatives) for clarification/refinement of the definitions and boundaries between the key DO-178B concepts of High Level Requirements, Low Level Requirements, and Derived Requirements and a better definition of the exit/entry criteria between systems requirements and system design (see ARP4754ARP4754
ARP4754 is a standard from SAE, dealing with the development processes and certification of Aircraft systems. EUROCAE jointly issues the document as ED–79...
) and that of software requirements and software design (which is the domain of DO-178B
DO-178B
DO-178B, Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification is a document dealing with the safety of software used in airborne systems....
). Other topics such as what does verification mean in a model-based development paradigm and can model simulation or formal methods replace some or all software testing activities.