DO-178C Update The RTCA/EUROCAE’s DO-178 avionics safety standard went through a revision that ended with the publication of the new DO-178C standard in December 2011. The core document is substantially the same as DO-178B, with a number of clarifications and a few minor corrections. The major change is the inclusion of several supplements. One supplement deals with tool qualification, and three others adapt the core document guidance when specific technologies are used: Model-Based Development, Object-Oriented Techniques, and Formal Methods.
From the Ada Connection 2011 talks, Dewi Daniels from Verocel gives an overview of DO-178C/ED-12C
Relevant Documents- DO-178C/ED-12C: Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification. Can be purchased from RTCA here.
- DO-178B/ED-12B: The official guidance document for Airborne Systems. Can be purchased from RTCA here or from Eurocae here
- DO-248B : The official clarification on DO-178B in the form of a FAQ. Can be purchased from RTCA here
- CAST papers: Several Position Papers from the Certification Authorities Software Team can be found here
- Objectives of software life cycle processes
- Description of activities and design considerations for achieving these objectives
- Description of the evidence that indicate that the objectives have been satisfied
DO-178B Safety Levels
The levels are defined in term of the potential consequence of an undetected error in the software certified at this level. Here are such consequences for each defined level:- Level A: Catastrophic: prevents continued safe flight or landing, many fatal injuries
- Level B: Hazardous/Severe: potential fatal injuries to a small number of occupants
- Level C: Major: impairs crew efficiency, discomfort or possible injuries to occupants
- Level D: Minor: reduced aircraft safety margins, but well within crew capabilities
- Level E: No Effect: does not effect the safety of the aircraft at all
DO-178B Documentation Requirements
DO-178B requires a thorough definition and documentation of the software development process. The base set of required documentation and life cycle artifacts include:- Plan for Software Aspects of Certification (PSAC)
- Software Quality Assurance Plan
- Software Configuration Management Plan
- Configuration Control Procedures
- Software Code Standard
- Software Design Standard
- Software Requirements Standard
- Software Development Plan
- Software Verification Plan
- Source, Executable Object Code, SCI and SECI
- Software Design Document
- Software Requirements Document
- Traceability
- Test Cases and Procedures
- Verification Results
- Quality Assurance Records
- Configuration Management Records
- Problem Reports
- Software Accomplishments Summary