Introduction to DO-178C
DO-178 was originally developed in the late 1970s to define a prescriptive set of design assurance processes for airborne software that focused on documentation and testing. In the 1980s, DO-178 was updated to DO-178A, which suggested different levels of activities dependent on the criticality of the software, but the process remained prescriptive.
Released in 1992, DO-178B was a total re-write of DO-178 to move away from the prescriptive process approach and define a set of activities and associated objectives that a design assurance process must meet. This update allowed flexibility in the development approaches that could be followed, but also specified fundamental attributes that a design assurance process must have, which were derived from the airworthiness regulations.
History of DO-178
Many advances in software engineering technologies and methodologies since the release of DO-178B made consistent application of the DO-178 objectives difficult. In 2012, DO-178C/ED-12C was released, which clarified details and removed inconsistencies from DO-178B, and which also includes supplements that provide guidance for design assurance when specific technologies are used, supporting a more consistent approach to compliance for software developers using these technologies. DO-178C guidance also clarified some details within DO-178B so that the original intent could be better understood and more accurately met by developers.
