Abstract
This document reviews the Architecture Centric Virtual Integration Process (ACVIP) analysis tools developed by Adventium Labs with respect to established Army tool airworthiness certification standards, namely the Army Military Airworthiness Certification Criteria (AMACC) and RTCA/DO-330 “Software Tool Qualification Considerations.”
Airworthiness qualification of a modeling/analysis tool provides a level of assurance that the tool has the necessary integrity to accomplish its specified role on the program. Decisions regarding the airworthiness qualification process are part of the overall airworthiness strategy negotiated between the contractor and the Government. Consequently, how a particular tool is used within the contractor’s design process determines the qualification process for the tool if qualification for the tool is required. For example, a tool may be qualified for DO-330 tool qualification level (TQL) 1 on one program and may not require qualification on a different program.
The following sections help identify potential roles ACVIP tools play in the airworthiness qualification process. The ACVIP tools overall fit within a larger trend towards the application of model-based system engineering (MBSE) techniques on Department of Defense (DoD) embedded systems development programs for the purposes of risk reduction. The full impact of MBSE tools on the airworthiness qualification process to date (circa September 2021) is still relatively unrealized. Potential benefits of MBSE in the qualification process itself (independent of the airworthiness credit required) include:
Improved acquisition strategy due to enhanced communications between organizations in distributed development,
Reduced duplicative effort,
Minimized time for review cycles,
Improved detail to the overall qualification picture,
A standardized formal definition for real time systems of architecture elements, with classifier semantics, properties, execution dynamics, and runtime services.