Lloyd Condra
Published: 2017
Total Pages: 152
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This report, based on global industry and regulatory expert experience and knowledge, illustrates only the top level of elemental aspects regarding commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components embedded in airborne electronic hardware (AEH) issues and provides possibilities for COTS AEH solutions development including: 1) the use of existing standards and guidance documents as a structure for future evolution of COTS standards, 2) possible future COTS standards to implement this structure, 3) the need for combined industry/regulatory/manufacturing research to develop COTS AEH issues mitigations, including the development of COTS standards and guidance, 4) mechanisms to shorten the slow evolution of standards, 5) a candidate structure for relevant and emerging COTS standards linked to evolving development assurance standards, and 6) the identification of standard bodies responsible for the implementation of the ongoing COTS solution(s). This report provides a COTS AEH assurance framework, including a common structured approach to evaluate COTS AEH issues. This approach is applied to the 22 issues addressed in the report and is recommended for application to future issues not addressed herein. The approach is presented in a manner that supports development of project-level COTS AEH mitigations that can be rolled into development, design assurance, and a practical compliance solution for FAA engineers, delegates, and standards administrators. There is a stand-alone treatment of each issue and a five-step suggested evolution of COTS and development assurance standards and guidelines. The research (1) includes detailed technical information about the issues, (2) introduces research required to provide new knowledge needed to implement solutions for the COTS AEH issues, (3) explores required tools, standards, and guidance needed for COTS-based systems development assurance, certification, and maintenance, and (4) considers certification-process and assessment criteria as well as methods for the given issues. The approach may be used to evaluate and develop emerging COTS AEH issues. This report also addresses design, component selection, development assurance, and certification-process issues for AEH COTS electronics product items, such as hybrids, multichip modules, microprocessors, field-programmable gate arrays, application-specific integrated circuits, and small assemblies including printed wiring assemblies and disk drives. All organizations and individuals who work with COTS AEH in avionics are encouraged to read and understand this report --and those who address these COTS AEH issues should use the AFE 75 research approach and results described.