DO-178C, Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification, is the primary functional safety standard used to certify airborne software in commercial aircraft, engines, and avionics. It is referenced by aviation authorities including FAA, EASA, and Transport Canada, and mandates rigorous assurance activities according to software levels A–E, based on the severity of failure conditions.
For space systems, ECSS-Q-ST-80C Rev. 2:2025, Software Product Assurance, defines requirements for software development, verification, validation, maintenance, configuration management, dependability, and security across mission-critical applications.
The ECLAIR Software Verification Platform provides broad and deep support for achieving compliance with DO-178C and ECSS-Q-ST-80C. It covers critical verification objectives from DO-178C Table A.5, supports architectural independence and partitioning (Section 2.4), facilitates compiler qualification, and includes tool qualification kits compliant with DO-330, while also supporting software product assurance, traceability, metrics, and security activities required by ECSS standards.
ECLAIR helps development and quality assurance teams meet DO-178C objectives for software levels A–D, especially those listed in Table A.5 for the Verification of Outputs of Software Coding and Integration Processes. It supports:
Verification of compliance with low-level requirements and architecture
Traceability between code and requirements
Conformance to coding standards
Verifiability and consistency of source code
Verification of integration process outputs
These capabilities also support ECSS-Q-ST-80C requirements for documented software product assurance evidence, compliance matrices, and verification reporting, including traceability and measurable quality attributes.
ECLAIR services (such as B.INDEPENDENCE, MISRA compliance enforcement, and requirements traceability tools) automate and strengthen verification activities, streamlining reviews and increasing confidence.
ECLAIR offers full support for the industry’s most recognized coding standards:
MISRA C:2025 — The leading safety subset for C, compatible with C90–C18, fully supported by ECLAIR MC
MISRA C++:2023 — The modern safety-oriented subset for C++17, supported alongside MISRA C++:2008 in ECLAIR MP
BARR-C:2018 — A well-structured style and safety subset, useful in pre-MISRA projects or to complement style requirements
These coding standards significantly improve verifiability, traceability, and robustness, helping avoid undefined behavior and preventing classes of defects relevant to both safety and security, a key expectation in ECSS-Q-ST-80C Rev. 2.
ECLAIR includes both HIS metrics and a broad range of additional quality metrics to assess:
Code complexity and maintainability
Component coupling and size
Style consistency and readability
These metrics are valuable not only for DO-178C verification but also for ECSS-driven quality models, which explicitly require measurable software properties and continuous assessment of development processes.
DO-178C requires demonstrable independence between software components, especially when components have different software levels. It defines partitioning as a means of fault containment and reduced verification burden.
ECSS-Q-ST-80C similarly requires controlled interactions, containment of failure propagation, and proper handling of critical and security-sensitive software components.
ECLAIR’s Independence Checker enforces formal software architecture constraints and prevents unsafe interface bypassing. This is key for proving compliance with DO-178C Section 2.4 and for enabling safety monitoring mechanisms (Section 2.4.3), as well as for supporting ECSS requirements on segregation, controlled interfaces, and failure containment.
ECLAIR for DO-178C
ECLAIR FOR ECSS-Q-ST-80C
DO-178C requires qualification of tools that automate or replace mandated activities, under RTCA DO-330. ECLAIR is suitable for qualification at Tool Qualification Level TQL-4 and TQL-5, depending on software level and tool use. In ECSS-based projects, tools used for development and verification must be justified and supported by evidence of suitability.
ECLAIR’s Qualification Kits for DO-178C/DO-330 and ECSS contexts provide:
Documentation and configuration templates
Extensive test suites
Scripts for environment setup and validation
This helps safety teams independently generate confidence-building evidence for tool qualification.
ECLAIR QUALIFICATION KITS
ECLAIR also assists in compiler qualification by validation, in collaboration with Solid Sands:
Detects and helps mitigate compiler issues via static analysis
Prevents unsupported compiler options or combinations
Automates SuperTest integration with CerTran, which scans build processes to configure compiler testing precisely and efficiently
Additionally, ECLAIR’s ability to analyze the exact build configuration supports change-impact analysis and regression assessment, which are explicitly required in ECSS-Q-ST-80C for both critical and security-sensitive software.
ECLAIR is designed from the ground up to support mission- and safety-critical workflows:
Validated with extensive proprietary and industry-standard test suites
Integrates with modern CI/CD workflows
Eliminates misconfigurations that could compromise verification
ECLAIR has been adopted in aerospace and other safety-critical industries where software correctness and certification readiness are paramount.
If you are developing airborne or space software and need to comply with DO-178C, DO-330 or ECSS-Q-ST-80C, ECLAIR helps you meet these standards with confidence, precision, and efficiency.
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