Monitoring software DO-178C

designverificationimage-processing

Image integrity monitoring is a mechanism used to independently check that any image produced from a complex programmable graphics processing unit (GPU) can be considered correct and consistent with the intended image output. Rapidly evolving graphics display generation technology from the commercial PC industry provides low cost and exceptionally powerful solutions for implementing ever more capable and complex display systems. As GPUs become increasingly complex, so does the associated driver and application code required to render an image on the screen. This growing code size and complexity is problematic. The FAA and other international certification authorities mandate that software be designed and tested to the DO-178C guidelines for flight critical airborne equipment in order to be certified for use in aircraft systems. The Ideal Solution to Spiraling Certification Costs DO-178 certification requires that the software used to render flight critical data undergo exhaustive and carefully documented testing and verification procedures that are prohibitively expensive. Further complicating the certification process is the fact that the low cost, high performance GPU from the PC industry does not have design history and verification data available from the manufacturer. It has neither sufficient support data nor has testing been done by the manufacturer to demonstrate operational reliability and design integrity. This makes DO-254 certification of the hardware impossible. Complete and Accurate Data Rendering for Safety-Critical Applications