06/03/2017 DO­254 Hardware Development ­ CERTON Engineering

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DO-254 Projects

DO­254 Hardware Development & Certification

DO­254 Design Assurance Guidance for Airborne Electronic Hardware Certification
For nearly a decade, CERTON has provided services and solutions to customers across the board in the Aerospace industry. From Commercial Aviation to Space Flight, CERTON
is focused on certi觩�cation of Airborne Electronic Hardware (AEH) compliant with RTCA/DO-254 Design Assurance Guidance for AEH certi觩�cation guidelines. CERTON can work
closely with your company to ensure successful TSO and/or Type Certi觩�cation during any phase of your project that includes safety-critical electronic hardware development
utilizing the DO-254 standard.

DO­254 Design Assurance Level (DAL)
For systems and equipment using electronic hardware to ful觩�ll a safety related aircraft function, the FAA cites RTCA/DO-254 as a means of compliance to the Federal Aviation
Regulations (FARs) Part 21, 23, 25, 27, 29 and 33. The FAA de觩�nes RTCA/DO-254 as a means, but not the only means, of compliance to the FARs. It is an extremely rare exception
that an alternative means of compliance is used for electronic hardware in avionics applications.

In order to certify safety-critical airborne electronic hardware using the RTCA/DO-254 guidelines, the system safety assessment process will identify the applicable DAL according
to the 觩�ve failure conditions categories necessary for safe operation identi觩�ed in the table below.

Design Assurance Level Condition

Level A Catastrophic

Electronic hardware that would cause or contribute to a failure of the system function resulting in conditions that would prevent continued safe 릊�ight and landing.

Level B Hazardous/Severe-Major

Electronic hardware that would cause or contribute to a failure of the system function resulting in reducing the capability of the aircraft or the ability to the crew to cope with
adverse operating conditions so that there would be a large reduction in safety margins of functional capabilities.

Level C Major

Electronic hardware that would cause or contribute to a failure of the system function resulting in reducing the capability of the aircraft or crew with adverse operating
conditions that would create a signi觩�cant reduction in safety margins or functional capabilities, a signi觩�cant increase in crew workload, possibly including injuries.

Level D Minor

Electronic hardware that would cause or contribute to a failure of the system function which would involve crew action that are well within their capabilities that causes slight
reductions in safety margins or functional capabilities and slight increase in crew workload.

Level E No Effect (DO-254 Objectives Do Not Apply)

Electronic hardware that would cause or contribute to a failure of the system function which has no affect the operational capability of the aircraft or increase workload.
CERTON has the expertise to develop and certify airborne electronic hardware for any DAL using the RTCA/DO-254 guidelines for compliance and Certi觩�cation Authority approval.

The CERTON DO­254 Compliant Model
The DO-254 Hardware Development lifecycle is made up of six main phases, Project Planning, Validation & Veri觩�cation, Requirements, Design & Architecture, Implementation &
Integration, and Delivery. Each phase in the electronic hardware development lifecycle consist of guidelines and activities to achieve compliance with the certi觩�cation objectives
that need to be 觩�lled in order for phase completion.

In CERTON’s model of the DO-254 Hardware Development Lifecycle, the Validation & Veri觩�cation Phase encompasses activities during all of the development phases once the
plans have been approved by a Certi觩�cation Authority (FAA, EASA, ANAC, Transport Canada, etc.). This is the key to successfully managing the risk on a DO-254 project and the
V&V team members should contribute to the development of these plans that will affect the entire program as it evolves.

Electronic Hardware Development projects that fall victim to schedule and budget overruns can almost always be attributed to not having a trained and experienced V&V team in
place early and actively involved during all phases of the electronic hardware lifecycle. DO-254 projects are requirements based, and CERTON has the expertise and experience to
contribute valuable input related to System Requirements, High Level Requirements, and Low Level Requirements Design and Architecture that will support streamlined
implementation and integration, V&V, and Delivery.

Errors in the Requirements, Design and Architecture have to be identi觩�ed and resolved as they are created by the Development team early in the project. Otherwise, the inevitable
consequence of detection by V&V after implementation and integration is complete rework from the top all the way down. These avoidable errors become very costly toa
program with milestone deadlines, such as First Flight (SOF), Type Inspection Authorization (TIA), and Certi觩�cation.

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06/03/2017 DO­254 Hardware Development ­ CERTON Engineering

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CERTON – Altera Partnership
CERTON is partnered with Altera, now the Intel® Programmable Solutions Group, to provide DO-254 compliant certi觩�cation
packages of their COTS IP FPGA cores. As part of the relationship, CERTON has direct access to vendor IP designs and tool
quali觩�cations supporting certi觩�cation as required by the FAA and other regulatory agencies.  Access to this IP provides
CERTON with the ability to produce artifacts necessary for DO-254 certi觩�cation. The overall result is reduced cost, reduced
risk, and reduced time to market.

What Phase is Your DO­254 Project In?

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News Releases

January 17, 2017 - CERTON Becomes the First Commercial Entity to Complete FACE™ Conformance Veri觩�cation Activities for Harris FliteScene® Software (http://www.certon.com/certon-
becomes-觩�rst-commercial-entity-complete-face-conformance-veri觩�cation-activities-harris-릊�itescene-software/)

January 11, 2017 - CERTON Completes Delivery of Requirements, Design, Validation, & Veri觩�cation for Major Milestone on Fly-by-Wire Flight Controls FPGA Program
(http://www.certon.com/certon-completes-delivery-requirements-design-validation-veri觩�cation-major-milestone-릊�y-wire-릊�ight-controls-fpga-program/)

December 6, 2016 - CERTON Delivers New State-of-the-Art Radio Frequency Automated Testing Equipment Station to Medical Device Manufacturer (http://www.certon.com/certon-delivers-
new-state-art-radio-frequency-automated-testing-equipment-station-medical-device-manufacturer/)

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