Course overview
EC-CERT-SW provides a clear explanation of how development assurance is applied to software development and identifies the related guidance, including the supplements to DO-178C. Following on from the fundamentals of certification and safety, it explains the key activities expected in the development assurance processes for software development and how they relate to the certification activities.
On completion, attendees understand the development assurance objectives for software development and the scope of the objectives applied to the software development processes. The course also explains the fundamental activities during software development and verification and the expectations for showing compliance to DO-178C.
What you will learn
- Systems, safety, hardware, and software processes overview
- Document overview and their contents
- Objectives and IDALs
- Additional guidance (AMC 20-115D, AMC 20-189, AMC 20-193 — aspects applicable to software)
- DO-178C supplements (DO-330, DO-331, and DO-332)
- High-level and low-level requirements (including derived requirements)
- Software design and coding
- Software verification
- Interactions with the systems process
- Expectations of involvement from QA (when, what, and how)
- Configuration management vs lifecycle management and their roles
- Showing compliance
Who should take this course
Early-career software engineers and newcomers to airborne software certification who need a foundational understanding of the DO-178C development assurance process.
Recommended prerequisite: EC-CERT-101 — Introduction to Development Assurance (Systems, Hardware and Software)
The DO-178C landscape for newcomers
DO-178C is the most widely applied standard in airborne software, and the reason it feels large to a newcomer is that it spans planning, development and verification at once, with a family of supplements layered on top. This overview gives you the map before the territory. Development — high-level requirements, low-level requirements, design and code — sits between a planning phase that sets everything up and a verification phase that produces most of the evidence, while configuration management and quality assurance run throughout. Understanding that flow is what turns a long list of objectives into a coherent process.
Just as important for early-career engineers is knowing the supplements exist and when they apply: DO-330 for tool qualification, DO-331 for model-based development, and DO-332 for object-oriented technology. You are not expected to master them here — only to recognize which one governs a given situation so you know where to look later. The course also clarifies how the Item Development Assurance Level (IDAL) scales the effort and how the software work connects to the systems and safety processes above it.
What you will be able to do afterward
After EC-CERT-SW you will be able to describe the DO-178C process from planning through verification, explain how IDAL sets the rigor, recognize when each supplement applies, and understand what showing compliance to DO-178C involves.
Where this fits in your learning path
EC-CERT-SW follows EC-CERT-101 and leads into the practitioner DO-178C track, starting with SW-CERT-101 (Overview & PSAC). For a written primer, see our DO-178C explained guide. Prefer instructor-led? Explore our full DO-178C training courses.
How on-demand training works
Every ConsuNova module is delivered online and self-paced, so you can learn on your own schedule. Each purchase includes 30-day access with unlimited views and downloads for one user, and a certificate of completion is issued automatically when you finish the module.
Your instructors
This module is authored and delivered by ConsuNova’s senior certification authorities, giving you both FAA and EASA perspectives on compliance:
Provides FAA Designated Engineering Representative expertise on U.S. avionics certification.
Brings EASA Certification Verification Engineer authority on European avionics compliance.
Frequently asked questions
What standard does EC-CERT-SW cover?
EC-CERT-SW focuses on DO-178C / AC 20-115D. Early-careers overview of DO-178C — how development assurance is applied to airborne software, the IDAL objectives, related A(M)C guidance and the DO-178C supplements, through showing compliance.
How long is the EC-CERT-SW course and how is it delivered?
EC-CERT-SW is a self-paced, on-demand online module of about 53 minutes (46 slides). Purchase includes 30-day access with unlimited views and downloads for one user.
What level is EC-CERT-SW and are there prerequisites?
EC-CERT-SW is an early careers-level course. Recommended prerequisites: EC-CERT-101.