DO-254 Requirements Traceability

Louie De Luna, Aldec
EDN (June 4, 2013)

DO-254 enforces a strict requirements-driven process for the development of commercial airborne electronic hardware. For DO-254, requirements must drive the design and verification activities, and requirements traceability helps to ensure this.

Introduction

Complex custom micro-coded devices such as PLDs, FPGAs and ASICs used in commercial airborne hardware are subject to the stringent development process outlined in the DO-254 guidance. This means that the design and verification activities for these types of devices must follow the requirements-based development process described in DO-254. The primary purpose of DO-254 is to provide assurance that the device under test meets its intended functions under all foreseeable operating conditions. Requirements express the functions of the device under test; therefore must drive the design and verification activities.

This paper describes requirements traceability according to DO-254 guidance in the context of FPGAs, and provides explanations as to what it means for the applicants. This paper also enumerates the underlying purpose of requirements traceability and the benefits that can be achieved when done correctly.

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