Safety Critical Software Certification Using Design Patterns

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to illustrate the development of safety critical, Reusable Software Component (RSC) using Design Patterns. The research essay demonstrates the process and issues of certification using DO-178B airworthiness assurance standard. The DO-178B standard is restricted to procedural programming languages, which results in a hindrance for using the Object-Oriented principles in aerospace applications. The three High-Level domains pursued in the research are Design Patterns, DO-178B assurance standard and a sample component, which is developed as a reusable sample component. The sample component illustrates the integration of the domains to give a notion for developing critical software design. All the entities in the sample component are portrayed as self-sufficient components, which interact via their exposed interfaces to meet the objective of reuse. The design of the sample component uses Object-Oriented principles and the guidance rules specified in the Object-Oriented Technology in Aviation (OOTiA) Handbook. The rules, which are relevant to the planning and the design phase, are considered throughout the development of the component. The sample component illustrates the incorporation of patterns in the design to ease the process of certification. The research essay can be used as a reference for organizations planning to utilize Design Patterns and Object-Oriented software in the aerospace projects. The maximum benefit to any project can be achieved by reviewing this research in the initial phases, as it provides information on integration of Design Patterns, certification information and development approach to create a safety critical Reusable Software Component (RSC).