ARINC 429 avionics IP core is now DO-254 certified

ARINC 429 is a serial protocol used in most commercial aircrafts for connecting between the aircraft’s avionics systems. DO-254 is a formal safety standard that applies to complex aircraft hardware. It provides guidance for the design and development of electronic hardware for airborne systems.

DO-254 defines five design assurance levels (DALs) of compliance, which determines the effect a failure of the hardware will have on the operation of the aircraft. Level A is the most severe, defined as "catastrophic" (e.g. loss of the aircraft), while a failure of Level E hardware will not affect the safety of the aircraft.

The main regulations which must be followed are requirements capturing and tracking throughout the design and verification process. Meeting DAL-A compliance for complex electronic hardware requires a much higher level of verification and validation than DAL-E compliance.

Sital also provides a set of documents for the IP, which the user is required to present to the certification authorities. Example for these documents are: Plan for Hardware Aspects of Certification (PHAC), which is the prime deliverable document required for achieving DO-254 certification; Hardware Conceptual/Detailed Design and Implementation; and Hardware Validation and Verification to provide assurance that all requirements are met, tested, verified and captured.

The ARINC 429 IP core is provided in two independent modules, for Transmitter and Receiver, enabling users to easily implement the required number of transmitters and receivers in their design.