What is DO178-B?DO178-B: "Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification"

What is DO178-B? DO178-B (proper name: DO-178B) defines the guidelines for development of aviation software in the USA.

DO178-B has become a de facto standard. Produced by Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics, Inc. (RTCA), the FAA's Advisory Circular AC20-115B established DO178-B as the accepted means of certifying all new aviation software.

DO178-B is primarily concerned with development processes. As a result, certification to DO178-B requires delivery of multiple supporting documents and records. The quantity of items needed for DO178-B certification, and the amount of information that they must contain, is determined by the level of certification being sought.

The targeted DO178-B certification level is either A, B, C, D, or E. Correspondingly, these DO178-B levels describe the consequences of a potential failure of the software: catastrophic, hazardous-severe, major, minor, or no-effect.

The DO178-B certification process is most demanding at higher levels. A product certified to DO178-B level A would have the largest potential market, but it would require thorough, labor-intensive preparation of most of the items on the DO178-B support list.

Conversely, a product certifying to DO178-B level E would require fewer support items and be less taxing on company resources. Unfortunately, the product would have a smaller range of applicability than if certified at a higher level.