ABSTRACT
The old television cliché where the police detective tells the suspect that he can take the easy way by cooperating or the hard way by resisting, can apply to DO-254 compliance as well. Taking the hard way or the easy way is a choice, and one that eventually confronts all airborne electronic hardware (AEH) developers. DO-254 is a compendium of the tried and true engineering best practices employed by the AEH industry, and in particular by companies that are known for producing the highest quality and safest aircraft in the world. If DO-254 has any weaknesses, perhaps the most significant would be its reliance on requirements as the lynchpin for its design and verification processes. Proper planning is essential for identifying and mitigating as many sources of risk as possible. Addressing technical and safety related risks are especially important for AEH programs, and is really what DO-254 compliance is all about.
