Developing Safety Critical Embedded Software under DO-178C
Yanyun Wang · OhioLink ETD Center (Ohio Library and Information Network) · 2016
Software installed on avionic equipment requires higher safety standards than any other environment.DO-178C , Software Consideration in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification, proposed by Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) and European Organization of Civil Aviation Equipment (EUROCAE), deals with the safety of software used in airborne systems.DO-178C was completed and approved by the RTCA in 2011 and replaces DO-178B as the primary document for Transport Canada, EASA and FAA.DO-178C defines the objectives and focuses on the procedures to produce software at a certain security / safety level.The inclusion of object-oriented concept and formal methods in DO-178C allows great flexibility of implementation.Most of the qualified software tools that can pass the certification process outlined in DO-178C are from big companies such as Matlab, AdaCore and IBM.The prohibitive price to enter the market makes it unaffordable for small business.The purpose of this research is to identify suitable open source software that can fulfill the same mission with minimal effort and cost while complying with the strict DO-178C standards.