Embedded Software in the Aerospace and Defence Sectors
In both civil avionics and military or space systems, the Aerospace and DefenCe sectors are defined by highly complex embedded systems that demand the utmost in software reliability and are designed for extended service lifetimes. These systems often take years to develop and certify, involving intricate multi-tiered supply chains and multi-platform development environments.
Given the safety-critical nature of these systems—whether safeguarding passengers, military personnel, or high-cost equipment—ensuring software reliability is paramount. Any failure can result in severe financial and operational consequences. The complexity of the systems and development processes, paired with the critical safety demands, means that international software development standards are essential in guiding every phase of development.
Key Standards for Aerospace and Defence Software Quality
The Aerospace and Defence sectors adhere to specialized software development standards to ensure the highest levels of safety, validation, and verification. Key among these are DO-178C and DO-278A, which provide rigorous guidelines for the development of airborne systems and ground-based software, respectively.
DO-178C is the industry standard for avionics software development, outlining processes to ensure the safety and reliability of airborne systems. Its counterpart, DO-278A, applies similar principles to ground-based systems in the aerospace and defense sectors. Both standards are critical in guiding the development and certification of safety-critical software used in civil aviation, military applications, and space systems.
Additionally, these sectors often require adherence to coding standards such as MISRA and CERT to further ensure the security and reliability of software.
DO-178B/C
Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification
MISRA C/C++
Guidelines for the use of the C/C++ languages in critical systems
CERT C/C++
Secure Coding Standard
QA Systems Testing Tools
QA Systems enables organisations to accelerate safety standards compliance with automated static analysis and software testing tools:
STATIC ANALYSIS
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