DO-178C / ED-12C - Software Considerations in Airborne Systems
DO-178C (RTCA) / ED-12C (EUROCAE) - Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification is the primary standard for safety-critical avionics software development. It defines objectives for software lifecycle processes based on software design assurance levels (DALs), ranging from Level A (catastrophic failure) to Level E (no safety effect), ensuring rigorous verification and validation throughout development.
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Framework Domains (13)
Additional
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| DO178C-18 | Previously Developed Software |
| DO178C-19 | Parameter Data Items |
Configuration Management (Table A-8)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| Table A-8, Obj. 1 | Configuration Identification |
| Table A-8, Obj. 2 | Baselines and Traceability |
| Table A-8, Obj. 3 | Problem Reporting |
| Table A-8, Obj. 4 | Change Control |
Development
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| DO178C-3 | High-Level Requirements (HLR) Development |
| DO178C-4 | Low-Level Requirements and Architecture |
| DO178C-5 | Source Code Development |
| DO178C-6 | Integration Process |
Planning
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| DO178C-1 | Software Planning Process |
| DO178C-2 | Software Development Standards |
Quality Assurance and Certification Liaison (Tables A-9 & A-10)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| Table A-10, Obj. 1 | Certification Liaison Communication |
| Table A-10, Obj. 2 | Software Accomplishment Summary |
| Table A-9, Obj. 1 | QA Process Compliance |
| Table A-9, Obj. 2 | QA Deviation Reporting |
| Table A-9, Obj. 3 | Software Conformity Review |
Software Development Process
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| Table A-2, Obj. 1 | Software Requirements Development |
| Table A-2, Obj. 2 | Derived Requirements |
| Table A-2, Obj. 3 | Software Architecture |
| Table A-2, Obj. 4 | Low-Level Requirements |
| Table A-2, Obj. 5 | Source Code Development |
| Table A-2, Obj. 6 | Executable Object Code |
| Table A-2, Obj. 7 | Software Integration |
Software Planning Process
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| Table A-1, Obj. 1 | Software Development Plan |
| Table A-1, Obj. 2 | Software Verification Plan |
| Table A-1, Obj. 3 | Software Configuration Management Plan |
| Table A-1, Obj. 4 | Software Quality Assurance Plan |
Supplements
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| DO178C-15 | Model-Based Development and Verification (DO-331) |
| DO178C-16 | Formal Methods (DO-333) |
| DO178C-17 | Object-Oriented Technology (DO-332) |
Support
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| DO178C-11 | Configuration Management |
| DO178C-12 | Software Quality Assurance |
| DO178C-13 | Certification Liaison Process |
| DO178C-14 | Tool Qualification (DO-330) |
| DO178C-20 | Software Life Cycle Data Control Categories |
Testing and Integration Verification (Tables A-6 & A-7)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| Table A-6, Obj. 1 | Executable Object Code Compliance |
| Table A-6, Obj. 2 | Executable Object Code Robustness |
| Table A-6, Obj. 3 | Executable Object Code Compatibility |
| Table A-7, Obj. 1 | Test Procedures Correctness |
| Table A-7, Obj. 2 | Test Results Correctness |
| Table A-7, Obj. 3 | Structural Coverage Analysis |
Verification
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| DO178C-10 | Data and Control Coupling Analysis |
| DO178C-7 | Verification of High-Level Requirements |
| DO178C-8 | Verification of Low-Level Requirements |
| DO178C-9 | Structural Coverage Analysis |
Verification of Design and Code (Tables A-4 & A-5)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| Table A-4, Obj. 1 | Low-Level Requirements Compliance |
| Table A-4, Obj. 2 | LLR Accuracy and Consistency |
| Table A-5, Obj. 1 | Source Code Compliance with LLR |
| Table A-5, Obj. 2 | Source Code Conformance to Standards |
| Table A-5, Obj. 3 | Source Code Traceability |
Verification of Requirements (Tables A-3 & A-4)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| Table A-3, Obj. 1 | High-Level Requirements Compliance |
| Table A-3, Obj. 2 | HLR Accuracy and Consistency |
| Table A-3, Obj. 3 | HLR Conformance to Standards |
| Table A-3, Obj. 4 | HLR Traceability |
| Table A-3, Obj. 5 | Algorithm Accuracy |
Your Compliance Coverage
If you comply with DO-178C / ED-12C - Software Considerations in Airborne Systems, you already cover:
IEC 62304:2015 Medical Device Software Lifecycle Processes
16%
9 controls mapped
Compare →ISO 19011
16%
9 controls mapped
Compare →ISO 20000-1
16%
9 controls mapped
Compare →+ 500 more: AS9100D - Aerospace Quality Management System (14%), ISO/IEC 27003:2017 (14%)
See all 503 mapped frameworks ↓Maps to 503 other frameworks
Frequently Asked Questions
What is DO-178C / ED-12C - Software Considerations in Airborne Systems?
DO-178C / ED-12C - Software Considerations in Airborne Systems is a compliance framework from International (Aviation) with 13 domains and 56 controls. DO-178C (RTCA) / ED-12C (EUROCAE) - Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification is the primary standard for safety-critical avionics software development. It defines objectives for software lifecycle processes based on software design assurance levels (DALs), ranging from Level A (catastrophic failure) to Level E (no safety effect), ensuring rigorous verification and validation throughout development. It is used by organisations to establish and maintain compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
How many controls does DO-178C / ED-12C - Software Considerations in Airborne Systems have?
DO-178C / ED-12C - Software Considerations in Airborne Systems has 56 controls organised across 13 domains. The largest domains are Software Development Process (7 controls), Testing and Integration Verification (Tables A-6 & A-7) (6 controls), Quality Assurance and Certification Liaison (Tables A-9 & A-10) (5 controls). Each control defines specific requirements that organisations must implement to achieve compliance.
What frameworks does DO-178C / ED-12C - Software Considerations in Airborne Systems map to?
DO-178C / ED-12C - Software Considerations in Airborne Systems maps to 503 other compliance frameworks. The top mapping partners are IEC 62304:2015 Medical Device Software Lifecycle Processes (16% coverage), ISO 19011 (16% coverage), ISO 20000-1 (16% coverage). Use our comparison tool to explore control-level mappings between frameworks.
How do I get started with DO-178C / ED-12C - Software Considerations in Airborne Systems compliance?
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