Multi-Function Air Data System

about project

The client required assistance in developing and verifying the software and FPGA for the Multi-Function Air Data System. This system is responsible for various essential functions, including measuring pressures, calculating air temperature, receiving digital information and commands, and transmitting altitude-speed parameters to onboard systems.

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The unit must also manage its own operational status, control the heating of the air pressure receiver, and handle the “Extended Control” mode commands from the onboard maintenance system. The project demanded strict compliance with industry standards, including DO-178C for software, DO-254 for hardware, and ARP-4754A for system-level requirements.

Technologies

Python
C
VHDL
Verilog
VLIW
Blackfin
CrossCore Embedded Studio
Code Composer Studio
TestWell CTC++
Active-HDL
QuestaSim
IBM DOORS
Jira

Standarts

ARP-4754A
DO-178C
DO-254
DO-330

Domain knowledge

tasks

Development of Planning Process Documents:

Develop software planning documents in accordance with DO-178C and hardware planning documents in accordance with DO-254.

Requirement Specification:

Develop system requirements following ARP-4754A and software requirements in compliance with DO-178C.

Tool Qualification:

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Adapt and qualify the tool for collecting and analyzing software structural coverage in accordance with DO-330.
Qualify internal client tools as per DO-330 standards.

Software and FPGA Verification:

Conduct verification of the software according to DO-178C and the FPGA according to DO-254 standards.

Results

Planning Process Documentation:

Successfully developed software and hardware planning documents fully compliant with DO-178C and DO-254, respectively. These documents were accepted by the certification authority during SOI #1, providing a clear description of the certification, configuration management, development, and verification processes.

Requirement Development:

Developed system and software requirements in full compliance with ARP-4754A and DO-178C, ensuring complete bidirectional traceability and covering functional, derived, and safety requirements.

Tool Qualification:

Successfully qualified the software structural coverage collection and analysis tool, as well as the client's internal tools, following DO-330 standards.

Issue Resolution:

During the software and FPGA verification process, over 650 issues were identified, including critical failures that could lead to catastrophic events, safety-impacting failures, and significant functional issues. Through multiple iterations of verification and requirement/code refinement, all identified issues were resolved.

process

Project Implementation

Development of Planning Documents

Developed comprehensive software planning documents in compliance with DO-178C and hardware planning documents in accordance with DO-254 standards.

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Requirement Specification

Defined system-level requirements in line with ARP-4754A, and developed high-level software requirements and software architecture descriptions as per DO-178C standards.

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Verification Reviews

Conducted sequential verification reviews of the developed requirements from system-level down to hardware, ensuring compliance with ARP-4754A, DO-178C, and DO-254 standards.

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Development of Verification Platforms

Created a software-hardware complex (verification test benches) for testing software and hardware integration and conducting module-level testing.

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Simulation and Testing of FPGA

Developed a software complex for conducting simulation and testing procedures for the FPGA.

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Automated Testing of Mathematical Models

Developed a technology for automated testing of the tightly coupled mathematical model for calculating altitude-speed parameters by creating a full copy of the software algorithms in Python.

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Tool Qualification

Qualified the software structural coverage collection and analysis tool using the developer's qualification package in accordance with DO-330 (TestWell CTC++).

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Internal Tool Qualification

Developed a qualification plan, operational requirements, and qualification tests for the client's internal tools and successfully qualified them per DO-330 standards.

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First Iteration of Verification

Conducted the first iteration of software verification (in accordance with DO-178C) and FPGA verification (in accordance with DO-254), identifying significant issues in the requirements and code.

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Subsequent Iterations and Issue Resolution

Through iterative updates to software/hardware requirements and verification, all identified issues were systematically resolved, leading to a robust and compliant system.

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review