SAE ARP4761A is the aviation safety standard applicable to most all aircraft and systems: Civil, Military, UAVs, and EVTOL require ARP4761A compliance. ARP4761A defines the FHA, PASA, PSSA, SSA, FMEA, and CMA/ZSA/PRA.

SAE ARP4754A is the aircraft/system standard applicable to most all aircraft and avionics software and hardware: Civil, Military, UAVs, and EVTOL require ARP4754A compliance. ARP4754A defines the Aviation/Aircraft and System ecosystem for Safety (ARP4761), Software (DO-178C) and Hardware (DO-254).

Aviation certification requires bi-directional traceability between Aircraft, Safety, Systems, Hardware, and Software Requirements including Derived and Decomposed requirements.

Multi-core processors provide greater throughput but introduce non-determinism via potential interference of shared Cache, Communications, and Memory. Aviation allows multi-core processing when compliant to CAST-32A.

DO-178C, via the DO-178C PDF, describes the software engineering process requirements for airborne software development. DO-178C has 71 objectives across five Development Assurance Levels (DAL’s) which apply accordingly application and criticality.

Worldwide militaries have recently standardized on DO-178C for airborne software and DO-254 for airborne hardware. But militaries have different constraints and priorities for certification.

DO-178C is not cheap, particularly the first project. But the DO-178C’s 25-40% cost increase when done right is cost effective on the second project.

DO-200B describes the aviation data processes required to certify data usability including the aviation data ecosystem for the three Assurance Levels along with DO-200A Data Quality Requirements and requisite framework.

DO-254 (and ED-80), via the DO-254 PDF, describes the hardware engineering process requirements for airborne hardware development. Both Simple and Complex (CEH) hardware are covered, along with relationship to AMC 20-152A and CAST-27.

DO-254 applies to a huge variety of avionics hardware items thus has greater subjectivity and scope than DO-178C. Many DO-254 mistakes are regularly made increasing cost and delays.

DO-278A is largely copied from, and aligned with, DO-178C. But ground systems (CNS/ATM) rely upon greater COTS and service-history usage Best practices of DO-278 are described here to maximize DO-278A certification success.

Aviation tools per DO-330 are non-flying software programs used to assist development and verification of hardware and software. Tool outputs not fully verified each formal usage but be Qualified per DO-330’s three criteria and five tool qualification levels.

Design of Aircraft and Avionics Systems is increasingly done via Model Based Development, which requires DO-331 Compliance.

UAV & EVTOL software must comply with DO-178C, but DO-178C increases costs but what are DO-178C’s benefits?