DO178B

DO-178B, formally titled Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification, is a safety standard for software used in civil aviation airborne systems. Published by RTCA in the early 1990s, it provides a framework of objectives for the development, verification, and certification of software embedded in airborne equipment. DO-178B has been superseded by DO-178C, but remains referenced in many legacy programs and historical analyses.

The standard defines software life cycle processes and the corresponding objectives that must be satisfied to achieve certification. Key processes include planning for software life cycle, software development, software verification, configuration management, quality assurance, problem reporting and corrective action, and certification liaison. The objectives are tailored to the software’s design assurance level (DAL), which ranges from A (most stringent) to E (no safety impact). Higher DALs require more rigorous development practices, more extensive verification activities, and stronger traceability from requirements through design, code, and tests.

Verification and traceability are central to DO-178B. The standard specifies evidence that requirements are satisfied by designs and implementations, and that tests demonstrate coverage of those requirements. Tools used in development and verification may require qualification or adequate documentation to ensure they do not compromise safety objectives.

DO-178B has been superseded by DO-178C, together with supplementary documents DO-330, DO-331, and DO-332 for tool qualification and formal methods. Nevertheless, DO-178B remains a reference in historical contexts and some legacy certification programs.