Abstract
The ideal of correct software has always been the goal of research in the field of Information Technologies. For the next years scientific communities hope for a great challenge: a complete strategy in software programming and software engineering supported by a range of analysis tools to design, develop, integrate, verify and maintain software applications with mathematical rigor. In this challenge formal methods shall play a key role. The adoption of these methodologies should be placed in the proper software engineering framework according to the software domain. In the avionic domain safety-critical software has to accomplish Federal Aviation Regulations by DO-178C or DO-278A means of compliance giving evidence that software implements its intended functions and does not perform unintended functions. DO-178B and DO-278A allowed formal methods without addressing specific process requirements. DO-178C instead is accompanied by a new RTCA Guideline DO-333 “Formal methods supplement to DO-178C and DO-278A”. The paper aims to provide an overview of the above mentioned standard. It highlights key concepts about the proper adoption of formal methods to accomplish the standard and the related certification objectives and provides different cases according to the different granted verification techniques.
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Gigante, G., Pascarella, D. (2012). Formal Methods in Avionic Software Certification: The DO-178C Perspective. In: Margaria, T., Steffen, B. (eds) Leveraging Applications of Formal Methods, Verification and Validation. Applications and Case Studies. ISoLA 2012. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 7610. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-34032-1_21
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