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Rapita Verification Suite (RVS)

  RapiTest - Unit/system testing  RapiCover - Structural coverage analysis  RapiTime - Timing analysis (inc. WCET)  RapiTask - Scheduling visualization  RapiCoverZero - Zero footprint coverage analysis  RapiTimeZero - Zero footprint timing analysis  RapiTaskZero - Zero footprint scheduling analysis  RapiCouplingPreview - DCCC analysis

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SAIF Autonomy to use RVS to verify their groundbreaking AI platform
RVS 3.22 Launched
Hybrid electric pioneers, Ascendance, join Rapita Systems Trailblazer Partnership Program
Magline joins Rapita Trailblazer Partnership Program to support DO-178 Certification
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How to certify multicore processors - what is everyone asking?
Data Coupling Basics in DO-178C
Control Coupling Basics in DO-178C
Components in Data Coupling and Control Coupling
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control_tower DO-278A Guidance: Introduction to RTCA DO-278 approval
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DCCC Image Data Coupling & Control Coupling
Additional Coe verification thumb Verifying additional code for DO-178C
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2025-05-20
DASC 2025
2025-09-14
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2025-10-01
DO-178C Multicore In-person Training (Toulouse)
2025-11-04
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Mitigation of interference in multicore processors for A(M)C 20-193
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Developing DO-178C and ED-12C-certifiable multicore software
DO178C Handbook
Efficient Verification Through the DO-178C Life Cycle
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Rapita Systems - Safety Through Quality
Simulation for the Motorola 68020 microprocessor with Sim68020
AI-driven Requirements Traceability for Faster Testing and Certification
Multicore software verification with RVS 3.22
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GMV verify ISO26262 automotive software with RVS
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Civil Aviation

Software verification for civil avionics

Solutions Case Study

In today’s connected world, aviation keeps the world moving by ensuring safe transport of people and goods. With the FAA Air Traffic Organization alone providing service to over 45,000 flights per day1, we’ve come a long way since the Wright brothers’ first flight in 1903, and the numbers are only moving in one direction.

From the fasten seatbelt sign to the flight control unit, software can be found almost everywhere in avionics systems.

Failure of onboard safety-critical software could have far-reaching repercussions. To ensure the safety of passengers, crew, and aircraft, software applications for civil aviation must be vigorously tested within strict guidelines such as DO-178C and ED-12C to ensure that they operate correctly.

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Verification requirements for civil avionics software

Software verification is crucial to demonstrate that safety-critical civil avionics software meets its functional and nonfunctional requirements. A range of activities support meeting verification requirements for civil avionics software, including the following.

Civil avionics software needs to be tested to verify that it functions correctly. To meet DO-178C objectives, tests should be based on high and low level software requirements (DO-178C §6.4.a, 6.4.b, 6.4.c, 6.4.d).

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Structural coverage analysis (code coverage analysis) for civil avionics software ensures that requirements-based testing has sufficiently tested the code structure. Structural coverage analysis is required to meet DO-178C objectives, with the coverage metrics required depending on the software DAL (DO-178C §6.4.4.a, 6.4.4.b, 6.4.4.b).

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Data Coupling and Control Coupling coverage analysis for civil avionics software demonstrates that software data flows and control flows have been exercised during requirements-based testing. This analysis is required for DAL A-C DO-178C software (DO-178C §6.4.4.d). Unlike other forms of structural coverage analysis, many organizations use different criteria for determining couplings that should be observed during testing.

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Safety-critical civil avionics software must operate within timing deadlines. Timing analysis, including worst-case execution time analysis, is required to meet various DO-178C objectives (DO-178C §6.4.3.a, 6.3.4.f, 6.3.3.f).

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Multicore processing for real time software makes systems less deterministic, as program behavior can be influenced by interference from software running on different processors. The use of multicore processing for DO-178C projects requires following the multicore-specific guidance in A(M)C 20-193. The 10 additional objectives in this guidance bring extra requirements to understand multicore interference and its impact on the system, including the worst-case execution time of applications.

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When developing software to DO-178C DAL A, it should be demonstrated that the correctness of any additional code introduced by the compiler has been verified (DO-178C §6.4.4.2.b). This objective is often incorrectly interpreted – object code coverage analysis alone is not typically enough to achieve the objective, as the correctness of additional code should be verified. This objective is usually achieved by analyzing the patterns of additional code that may be introduced by the compiler based on the coding standard and compiler options used in a project, and verifying the correctness of this code through requirements-based testing.

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You can learn more about DO-178C objectives and how to meet them on dedicated webpages:

  • DO-178C objectives
  • Multicore DO-178C objectives (AC 20-193 and AMC 20-193 objectives)

“The qualification and deployment of a new tool takes effort, but the Rapita team have an excellent qualification solution and worked closely with us to produce an efficient deployment. The quality and ease-of-use of Rapita’s Qualification products and services is second to none and made the adoption of RVS simple and pain-free.”

Kyle Ford

Principal Software Engineer, TSO Certification Representative, Design Certification Engineering
Collins Aerospace

Benefits of working with Rapita

  Efficient testing

Meeting project budgets is a top priority, which is why we focus heavily on making software testing and verification efficient.

 
  On-target expertise

At Rapita, we know that on-target testing is the gold standard, and our verification solutions are designed with this in mind.

 
  Verification, your way

Every project and organization is different, and an efficient verification approach must align with your processes and development environment.

 
  One-stop solution

Using too many independent pieces of software slows projects down and causes a management headache.

 
  A trusted partner

When you work with us, we do our best to support your needs, every time.

 
  Qualified solutions

Our motto is “safety through quality”, and we take qualification of our verification solutions seriously.

 
Efficient testing & verification

Meeting project budgets is a top priority, which is why we focus heavily on making software testing and verification efficient.

We provide training and consultancy on making your testing and verification process more efficient, and our software includes key effort-saving features such as merging of results from different test runs and migration of coverage justifications.

On-target expertise

At Rapita, we know that on-target testing is the gold standard, and our verification solutions are designed with this in mind.

With flexible integration strategies, R VS can integrate with almost any embedded target or simulator, regardless of available memory, bandwidth, or code size, and has been used for on-target verification of LEON and ARM processors.

R VS’s instrumentation is the lowest on the market, meaning fewer test runs are needed to collect results to verify your system.

Verification, your way

Every project and organization is different, and an efficient verification approach must align with your processes and development environment.

R VS integrates into your existing development environment, including build system, requirements management and application life cycle management tooling.

One-stop solution

Using too many independent pieces of software slows projects down and causes a management headache.

Rapita and R VS provide solutions for all of the key verification activities you’ll need to perform that require dynamic analysis, meaning you can simplify both your verification strategy and your procurement.

A trusted partner

When you work with us, we do our best to support your needs, every time.

We regularly develop custom tools and solutions to meet specific verification needs.

Support is a cornerstone of our business, and our support team regularly exceeds our high service objectives. Check out some of our support testimonials to see we aren’t exaggerating.

Qualified solutions

Our motto is “safety through quality”, and we take qualification of our verification solutions seriously.

Our DO-178C qualification kits include over 1200 tests and 180,00 LOC, and we go the extra step to help you qualify the use of R VS in your projects.

We’re transparent about any assurance issues that we find with our solutions, and provide workarounds or fixes as a priority.

The Multicore timing expert

We’re recognized worldwide as the key authority on multicore timing analysis for critical software. While the avionics industry only recently started using multicore processing in critical applications, we have been doing R&D in multicore timing for over a decade, and our solution for /products/mach178">A(M)C 20-193 compliance is used worldwide.

We maintain a strong relationship with key players in the multicore processing ecosystem, including board and chip suppliers, and RTOS providers, to support the evolution of efficient approaches for multicore certification.

Resources


DO-178C Handbook
Efficient Verification Through the DO-178C Life Cycle
SYSGO Whitepaper
Developing DO-178C and ED-12C-certifiable multicore software
Multicore Timing Analysis Whitepaper
Multicore Timing Analysis for DO-178C
8 Top coverage questions whitepaper
Eight top code coverage questions in embedded avionics systems
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