DO-254 Online Training: AMC 20-152A Overview (HW-CERT-100)

Course overview

A(M)C 20-152A reshapes how DO-254 is applied to airborne electronic hardware. HW-CERT-100 gives a concise overview of the additional objectives it introduces and how they change a hardware program.

The course focuses on the custom device development objectives and clarifies where 20-152A adds expectations beyond the baseline DO-254 process.

What you will learn

• How A(M)C 20-152A relates to and extends DO-254
• The additional objectives introduced for airborne electronic hardware
• Custom device development objectives explained
• Where 20-152A changes planning and verification expectations
• How to position a hardware program for compliance

Who should take this course

Hardware engineers, managers, and certification staff who need to understand the impact of A(M)C 20-152A on DO-254 programs.

Recommended prerequisite: AV-CERT-101 — Introduction to Design Assurance (ARP 4754A & ARP 4761)

Course outline

1. DO-254 in context — where RTCA/DO-254 (EUROCAE ED-80) sits in the certification framework and why airborne electronic hardware needs its own design assurance guidance.
2. What A(M)C 20-152A changes — the move from the original DO-254 guidance to FAA AC 20-152A and EASA AMC 20-152A, and the gaps the advisory material closes.
3. Custom devices defined — how 20-152A scopes ASICs, FPGAs and other programmable logic as custom devices subject to the additional objectives.
4. The additional objectives — a structured tour of the development and verification objectives 20-152A layers on top of baseline DO-254.
5. Program impact — how to adjust your plans, lifecycle data and verification effort so a hardware program stays compliant under 20-152A.

Why A(M)C 20-152A matters for DO-254 compliance

RTCA/DO-254 was published in 2000, before today’s high-density FPGAs and complex custom devices were common in airborne systems. The FAA issued AC 20-152A — and EASA the parallel AMC 20-152A — to modernize how the guidance is applied, clarify expectations for complex custom devices, and resolve long-standing questions about COTS intellectual property, simple-versus-complex classification, and the depth of verification expected at each design assurance level.

For a certification program the practical effect is clear: meeting DO-254 alone is no longer sufficient, because the authorities now expect projects to address the additional objectives spelled out in 20-152A. Engineers and managers who understand these objectives early can scope their plans, tool usage and verification evidence correctly, instead of discovering gaps during a Stage of Involvement (SOI) review or audit.

What you will be able to do afterward

By the end of HW-CERT-100 you will be able to explain what A(M)C 20-152A requires beyond DO-254, identify which of your devices are treated as custom devices, and brief your team on the additional objectives that shape planning and verification. That shared understanding is what keeps a hardware program aligned with the certification authority from the first planning review onward.

How this course fits your certification path

HW-CERT-100 is the orientation point for the DO-254 track. Once you understand the 20-152A landscape here, HW-CERT-101 takes you into the Plan for Hardware Aspects of Certification, HW-CERT-110 into hardware development, and HW-CERT-120 into verification. For a written primer on the standard, see our DO-254 explained guide. Prefer instructor-led? Explore our full DO-254 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:

Reza Madjidi FAA DER Consultant

Provides FAA Designated Engineering Representative expertise on U.S. avionics certification.

Martin Beeby EASA CVE Authorized

Brings EASA Certification Verification Engineer authority on European avionics compliance.

Frequently asked questions