Flight Control DO-178C Demo Project

A Reference Project for Safety-Critical Development Processes

This repository demonstrates how to develop software under functional safety standards such as DO-178C (airborne software), ISO 26262 (automotive), IEC 62304 (medical), and similar frameworks.

It is structured to serve as both a portfolio project and a future reference guide.

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📊 Typical Safety-Critical Development Process Flow Chart

Here's a flow chart of the typical safety-critical development process (aligned with DO-178C, ISO 26262, IEC 62304, etc.):

flowchart TD

    A[System Requirements & Safety Assessment] --> B[Software Planning]
    B --> C[High-Level Requirements - HLR]
    C --> D[Low-Level Requirements - LLR & Design]
    D --> E[Source Code Implementation]
    E --> F[Verification]
    F --> G[Integration & Hardware-in-the-Loop Testing]
    G --> H[Certification Evidence & Deliverables]

    %% Sub-details
    A --- A1[FHA - Functional Hazard Assessment]
    A --- A2[FTA - Fault Tree Analysis]
    A --- A3[HARA - Hazard Analysis & Risk Assessment]

    B --- B1[PSAC - Plan for Software Aspects of Certification]
    B --- B2[SDP - Software Development Plan]
    B --- B3[SVP - Software Verification Plan]
    B --- B4[SCMP - Software Configuration Management Plan]
    B --- B5[SQAP - Software Quality Assurance Plan]

    E --- E1[C with coding standards - MISRA]

    F --- F1[Unit Tests]
    F --- F2[Code Reviews]
    F --- F3[Coverage - Statement/Decision/MC/DC]

    H --- H1[Traceability Matrix]
    H --- H2[Test Reports]
    H --- H3[Compliance Records]

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📑 Development Flow (Step by Step)

1. System Requirements & Safety Assessment

• Artifacts: System Requirements, Safety Assessment Notes
• Concepts:
  • FHA – Functional Hazard Assessment
  • FTA – Fault Tree Analysis
  • HARA – Hazard Analysis & Risk Assessment
• Goal: Identify hazards, assign safety levels (DAL C in this project).

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2. Software Planning

• Artifacts:
  • PSAC – Plan for Software Aspects of Certification
  • SDP – Software Development Plan
  • SVP – Software Verification Plan
  • SCMP – Software Configuration Management Plan
  • SQAP – Software Quality Assurance Plan
• Goal: Define how software will be developed, verified, managed, and assured.

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3. High-Level Requirements (HLR)

• Artifact: Requirements.md
• Example: System shall maintain pitch within ±2° of target.
• Goal: Translate safety/system requirements into software-level behavior statements.

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4. Low-Level Requirements (LLR) & Design

• Artifacts: Design Diagrams, State Machine
• Goal: Specify module-level behavior and internal design decisions (algorithms, scheduling, interfaces).

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5. Source Code Implementation

• Artifacts: Source Code (C with MISRA-style guidelines)
• Goal: Implement design in a safe, consistent, and reviewable manner.

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6. Verification

• Artifacts:
  • Unit Tests
  • Coverage Reports
  • Review Checklists & Logs
• Concepts:
  • RBT – Requirements-Based Testing
  • Coverage – Statement, Decision, and (if applicable) MC/DC
• Goal: Demonstrate that each requirement is fully verified.

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7. Integration & Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) Testing

• Artifacts: HIL Test Notes (future extension)
• Goal: Validate system integration and real-time performance on hardware.

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8. Certification Evidence & Deliverables

• Artifacts: Traceability Matrix, Test Reports
• Goal: Show end-to-end traceability (HLR → LLR → Code → Test) and compliance with DO-178C objectives.

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📂 Repository Structure

flight-control-do178-demo/
├── docs/ → DO-178C plans, requirements, traceability
├── design/ → Diagrams (architecture, state machines)
├── src/ → Source code
├── tests/ → Unit tests & coverage
├── reviews/ → Checklists & review logs
└── README.md → This guide

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🧾 Acronyms Reference

• DO-178C – Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification
• DAL – Design Assurance Level (A = most critical, E = least critical)
• PSAC – Plan for Software Aspects of Certification
• SDP – Software Development Plan
• SVP – Software Verification Plan
• SCMP – Software Configuration Management Plan
• SQAP – Software Quality Assurance Plan
• FHA – Functional Hazard Assessment
• FTA – Fault Tree Analysis
• HARA – Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessment
• RBT – Requirements-Based Testing
• MC/DC – Modified Condition / Decision Coverage

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