Development assurance objectives checklist

How it works

Airborne software and electronic hardware are developed to a design assurance level, and the level sets how many objectives must be met and how strictly. This checklist proposes the objectives for the standard and level you choose, grouped by process area, with whether each applies and whether independence is expected, then tracks status, evidence and owners and shows completion area by area.

1. Choose the standard and the level. Pick software (RTCA DO-178C) or electronic hardware (RTCA DO-254) and the design assurance level from A, the most demanding, to E. The level comes from the system safety assessment of the function the software or hardware contributes to. Level E has no objectives.
2. Propose the objectives. The proposed rows are the Hub's condensed groupings in eight process areas: planning, requirements, design, implementation and coding, verification and validation, configuration management, process assurance and certification liaison. Each row says whether it applies at the level and whether independence is expected. A row applies from the least demanding level it names up to level A.an objective applies at a level if the level is at or above the least demanding level it names; levels rank A > B > C > D > E
3. Set independence. Independence means the person who checks the work is not the person who produced it. Where the Hub is sure, the row says required or not required. It is sure of two things: hardware requirements are validated with independence at levels A and B, and the reviews of software requirements, design and code are independent at level A. Everything else that may need independence is marked confirm. Set it from your copy of the standard.
4. Track status and evidence. Mark each applicable objective not started, in progress or done, name the owner and give the evidence reference: the document number, report or review record that shows it was met. An objective counts as done only when its status is done.
5. Read completion, independence and open items. Completion is the share of applicable objectives that are done, overall and for each process area. The independence list shows the done and open objectives that need an independent check. Open items are the applicable objectives that are not done.completion = done objectives / applicable objectives; area completion = done in the area / applicable in the area
6. Compare with the standard's count. For DO-178C the Annex A tables list 71 objectives at level A, 69 at level B, 62 at level C and 26 at level D, and none at level E. The Hub's rows group several of these into one, so its counts are smaller; the comparison table shows both so the grouping is not mistaken for the standard.

Sources

The methods and default figures rest on these public sources. The wording here is our own; read the source for its full text.

• DO-178C, Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification (EUROCAE ED-12C), RTCA, Inc., 13 December 2011. The software standard; cited by name, section and annex table only.
• DO-254, Design Assurance Guidance for Airborne Electronic Hardware (EUROCAE ED-80), RTCA, Inc., 19 April 2000. The hardware standard; cited by name, section and appendix table only.
• AC 20-115D, Airborne Software Development Assurance Using EUROCAE ED-12() and RTCA DO-178() (opens in a new tab), U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, 21 July 2017. Recognises DO-178C as an acceptable means of compliance for the software aspects of airborne systems.
• AC 20-152A, Development Assurance for Airborne Electronic Hardware (opens in a new tab), U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, 7 October 2022. Recognises DO-254 and adds objectives for custom devices, commercial IP, commercial devices and circuit board assemblies. It covers hardware levels A to C and does not require its objectives at level D.
• AMC 20-152A, Development Assurance for Airborne Electronic Hardware (AEH) (opens in a new tab), European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Easy Access Rules for Acceptable Means of Compliance (AMC-20), ED Decision 2020/010/R; compiled publication updated 23 June 2023. The European counterpart of the FAA's hardware circular.