DO-178C Compliance with IBM ELM: Guaranteeing Trustworthy, Secure, and Standards-Compliant Aviation Software

In aviation engineering, avionics system software failures can have devastating consequences, ranging from minor malfunctions to severe safety risks. To prevent such outcomes, companies' engineering aircraft systems are obligated to comply with DO-178C, the worldwide accepted aviation software development standard. 

 If you operate with aviation systems, understanding DO-178C and the purpose of IBM’s Engineering Lifecycle Management (ELM) platform supports companies in meeting their strict requirements. Throughout this article, you'll learn what DO-178C is, why companies are obligated to comply with it, and how IBM ELM tools assist development, planning, and verification activities required by the standard. This overview is designed to enable engineers, managers, and newcomers to develop a solid understanding of DO-178C compliance. 

DO-178C (Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification) is the main safety standard for all aviation software systems used in aircraft. It establishes the processes, documentation, objectives, and confirmation necessary to verify that the aircraft's aviation software is dependable and secure enough to be implemented on certified aircraft systems. 

The standard defines:
● Software development procedures
● Verification procedures
● Traceability requirements
● Documentation requirements
● Failure severity levels (DAL A-E)

DAL A describes a disastrous failure, whereas DAL E shows no safety effect. The higher the category, the stricter the required processes.  

Aviation safety administrations, such as the FAA (USA) and EASA (Europe), utilize DO-178C to determine whether software is certifiable.
Companies must comply with DO-178C because:
● Compliance with DO-178C is mandatory for every software used in military or commercial aircraft
● It provides safe, reliable, and predictable functionality
● Minimizes the risk of catastrophic failures
● Standardizes the development processes across the industry
● Certifying software without DO-178C documentation is nearly impossible 

IBM offers a suite of tools within the Engineering Lifecycle Management (ELM) platform that directly support DO-178C procedures. IBM tools support organizations in meeting the standard’s objectives by providing:
● Requirements traceability
● Workflow management
● Verification tracking
● Configuration control
● Evidence generation
● Change management
● Test execution and reporting
These are vital features needed for successful certification. 

IBM Engineering Lifecycle Management (ELM) is an integrated toolchain that assists the entire systems and software development lifecycle. It is universally applied to regulated industries, including aerospace, automotive, and defence. 

Learn more about ELM on our Aerospace & Defence Solutions page 

IBM DOORS Next - Requirements Management (DNG)
● Captures and structures system and software requirements
● Creates traceability among requirements, design, code, and tests
● Enables baselining, reviews, approvals, and version control
● Ensures consistency throughout large engineering departments 

IBM Engineering Test Management (ETM)
● Generates and executes test plans, test cases, and test scripts
● Records verification documentation
● Connects test results to requirements
● Ensures complete coverage and compliance for audits 

IBM Engineering Workflow Management (EWM)
● Manage tasks, change requests, builds, and source control
● Tracks code changes and reviews
● Ensures compliance with configuration management requirements

IBM Rhapsody Systems Design (Rhapsody)
● A modeling environment for SysML/UML
● Helps design system architecture and software components
● Capable of generating executable code directly from the software model for the target environment
● Provides safety-critical frameworks (OXF/SFX) for embedded software development on RealTime
● Operating Systems (RTOS)
● Integrated with DNG and ETM for end-to-end traceability 

IBM Rhapsody Test Conductor Add-on (RTC)
● Automates the testing activities required to verify that the executable object code complies with high-level and low-level requirements.
● Automatically collects coverage data during test execution, essential for meeting DO-178C objectives regarding code structure.
● Prequalified testing tool, including a “Validation Suite” for further qualifications 

Global Configuration Management (GCM)
● Handles multi-version configurations for effective variant management
● Ensures consistent baselines across requirements, code, tests, and models
● Critical for large avionics programs with multiple system variants
In combination, these tools provide the complete traceability and structure that DO-178C requires.

DO-178C organizes software development into several core aspects. In this article, the primary components include Planning, Development, and Testing/Verification. 

The planning phase determines how the software will be developed and verified in accordance with DO-178C. It involves designing:
● Software Development Plan (SDP)
● Software Verification Plan (SVP)
● Configuration Management Plan
● Quality Assurance Plan
● Certification Compliance Strategy
How IBM ELM Assists Planning
● DNG stores all planning documents
● EWM appoints assignments and workflows, and utilizes phase or iteration plans by organizing engineering work
● GCM controls authorized versions of plans
● Reporting tools generate documentation for auditors
DO-178C planning is crucial because auditors review consistency between the plans and the actual development activities.

The development process converts requirements into design, source code, and architecture.
DO-178C Demands:
● High-level requirements (HLR)
● Low-level requirements (LLR)
● Software Architecture
● Source code aligned with LLR
● Full traceability from requirements
● Configuration management at all levels  

How IBM ELM Supports Development

Doors Next
● Stores all requirements and provides comprehensive traceability between HLR, LLR, Architecture, and Source Code 
● Tracks relationships and change impact
● Ensures every requirement has test coverage 
Rhapsody
● Models, systems, and software behaviour
● Generates documentation or code (depending on DAL level)
● Provides a graphical representation of the architecture
● Ensures bidirectional associativity between model and source code (model is the code, code is the model)
● Allows developers to create executable models using SysML/UML and generate production-ready code (C, C++, Ada) for safety-critical systems.
● Integrates with tools like the LDRA tool suite to perform static analysis and ensure code complies with standards such as MISRA C/C++ and ARINC 653, which is required for DO-178C, particularly for higher criticality levels. 
Engineering Workflow Management (EWM)
● Manages source code versions
● Provides controlled and regulated workflows (approvals, audits, branching rules)
● Connects code modifications to corresponding requirements
Cooperatively, these tools guarantee that development meets DO-178C standards while maintaining a precise traceability chain.

Verification is the most critical part of DO-178C. It ensures that:
● Every requirement is tested
● Code meets design intent
● Software is correct, complete, and safe 
DO-178C Requires:
● Requirements-based testing
● Low-level and high-level test cases
● Structural coverage analysis
● Verification independence
● Documented test results
● Traceability from tests
● Verification of reviews, analyses, and inspections 
How IBM ETM Enables Verification
● Manages all test artifacts and execution
● Records test results and evidence (logs, screenshots, files)
● Provides dashboards for test progress
● Ensures full requirements/test traceability
● Generates reports for certification authorities
IBM ELM’s tightly integrated workflow ensures that every requirement, test, and change is linked, a fundamental requirement of DO-178C. 
How Rhapsody Test Conductor Add-On Contributes
● Powerful model-based testing (MBT) solution
● Automates software verification and validation at the model level
● Significantly reduces the cost and effort of achieving DO-178C compliance
● Bridges the gap between model-based design and stringent testing requirements of DO-178C, particularly for DAL A, B, and C projects.
● Seamlessly integrates with ETM for comprehensive test case management.

Even experienced engineering departments have trouble with:
● Maintaining complete traceability
● Managing numerous requirements
● Keeping requirements synchronized throughout different versions
● Adapting to evolving regulations
● Securing independent verification
● Systemizing large amounts of certification evidence
● Maintaining strict configuration management
Without the proper tools, departments face cost overruns, timeline delays, and certification rejections. 

IBM ELM optimizes DO-178C compliance by connecting requirements, design, code, and testing into one combined toolchain. Here’s a brief analysis of how the workflow looks: 

1. Capture Requirements in DOORS Next
All system and software requirements are created, reviewed, baselined, and attached to design, code, and tests. Fulfilling DO-178C traceability requirements. 

More details are available on our DOORS Next page 

2. Model and Code in Rhapsody
Engineers develop architecture and design models (SysML/UML) and attach them back to requirements, ensuring a consistent design structure.
Then generate the production-ready executable object code directly from the model for the target environment using safety-critical frameworks (OXF/SXF), suitable for certification. 
3. Manage code configurations with EWM
Developers apply the software with controlled versioning, change tracking, and mandatory reviews. All changes are linked to a requirement or task. 
4. Test and Verify in ETM Test plans and test cases are performed in ETM, where all results, evidence, and coverage data are stored and connected to requirements or tasks (model-based testing provided by Rhapsody Test Conductor add-on).

Softacus brings extensive expertise across aviation software certification and IBM ELM solutions. Their team collaborates closely with organizations to guarantee that DO-178C compliance is seamlessly integrated into the software development lifecycle. By guiding best practices, tool configuration, and process alignment, Softacus helps teams save time, reduce errors, and maintain a clear, auditable path for requirements to verification.

Softacus specializes in:
● IBM ELM implementations
● DO-178C compliance consulting
● Requirements and test management setup
● ELM training for engineering teams
● Custom dashboards, automations, and extensions Integration with third-party systems
● Migration of legacy data into DOORS Next or ETM
With Softacus’s support, teams can concentrate on development while keeping all workflows and artifacts fully compliant. Their expertise helps streamline processes, maintain traceability, and simplify certification.

DO-178C forms the foundation of aviation software safety and certification. While the standard defines what must be done, tools like IBM ELM make it possible to manage requirements, workflows, testing, and documentation in an organized and traceable way.

With powerful components like DOORS Next, ETM, EWM, and Rhapsody, organizations can develop certifiable software efficiently while reducing risks, saving time, and ensuring full compliance.

For teams preparing for DO-178C certification, a properly implemented IBM ELM environment is not optional; it is essential.