Esterel Technologies

To what do DO-178B levels refer?

DO-178B software levels (A, B, etc.) are based on the potential of the software to cause safety-related failures identified in the system safety assessment. DO-178B has five levels of certification:

1. Level A: Software whose failure would cause or contribute to a catastrophic failure of the aircraft.
2. Level B: Software whose failure would cause or contribute to a hazardous/severe failure condition.
3. Level C: Software whose failure would cause or contribute to a major failure condition.
4. Level D: Software whose failure would cause or contribute to a minor failure condition.
5. Level E: Software whose failure would have no effect on the aircraft or on pilot workload.