Instructor: Tom Ferrell, Ferrell & Associates Consulting
Outline: DO-178C/ED-12C has been out for five years and is now considered the foundational design assurance standard for all airborne software-based systems. DO-278A serves the same purpose for ground and space-based systems that are used to control the airspace. DO-330 provides a standalone approach for tool qualification supporting airborne software, aeronautical data processing, system safety, and hardware design assurance. Finally, DO-331, DO-332, and DO-333 provide interpretations of DO-178C when the techniques of model-based development, object-oriented development, or formal methods are employed.
This tutorial is designed to provide the student with a fast-paced introduction to all of these documents and the role they play in ensuring overall aeronautical safety. Key aspects relating to the objectives that must be satisfied; the suggested activities to show objective compliance; and the resulting evidence (i.e., required data items) will all be discussed. In addition, key regulatory guidance documents including the harmonized Acceptable Means of Compliance (AMC), the FAA Order 8110.49, and EASA CM SWCEH-002 will be discussed. The tutorial will conclude with an update on possible future directions for aeronautical design assurance.
About the Instructor: Tom Ferrell is a software and airborne electronic hardware Designated Engineering Representative (DER) for the US Federal Aviation Administration. Tom is a co-founder of Ferrell and Associates Consulting, Inc. a certification and aviation safety consultancy. Previously, Tom has held senior technical positions at Science Application International Corporation (SAIC), Iridium LLC, and the Boeing Commercial Airplane Group. Tom holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Northern Illinois University, a Master’s degree in Information Technology Management from Rensselaer PolyTechnic Institute, and a Master’s degree in History from George Mason University. Tom is one of the technical editors for the third edition of the Digital Avionics Handbook, published in 2014 by CRC Press.
