FAA Order 8110.49A
FAA Order 8110.49A
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION ORDER
8110.49A
This order explains how Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aircraft certification staff can use and
apply RTCA/DO-178B and RTCA/DO-178C when working on certification projects. The guidelines
are applicable to the approval of airborne systems and equipment and the software aspects of those
systems. Because it’s impractical to cover all situations or conditions, supplement these instructions
with good judgment when handling problems.
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1. Purpose. This order guides Aircraft Certification Service (AIR) offices and designees on
how to apply RTCA/DO-178B and RTCA/DO-178C, herein called RTCA/DO-178B/C for
approving software used in airborne computers. Both are titled “Software Considerations in
Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification”. The guidelines are applicable to the approval
of airborne systems and equipment and the software aspects of those systems related to type
certificates (TC), supplemental type certificates (STC), amended type certificates (ATC),
amended supplemental type certificates (ASTC), and technical standard order (TSO)
authorizations (TSOA).
Note: References to use of DO-178C in this order include use of supplements (DO-331, DO-332,
DO-333) and DO-330, as applicable.
2. Audience. Managers and staff of the FAA Aircraft Certification Service, including any
persons designated by the administrator, and organizations associated with the certification
process required by Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR).
3. Related Publications. The latest amendments of the following publications are the primary
reference materials for this order:
a. Code of Federal Regulations. 14 CFR part 21, Certification Procedures for Products
and Parts.
b. FAA ACs and Orders. Copies of the following ACs and orders are available from the
FAA website at http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies.
(3) AC 23.1309-1, System Safety Analysis and Assessment for Part 23 Airplanes.
(7) AC 33.28-1, Compliance Criteria for 14 CFR 33.28, Aircraft Engines, Electrical and
Electronic Engine Control Systems.
(8) AC 33.28-2, Guidance Material for 14 CFR 33.28, Reciprocating Engine, Electrical
and Electronic Engine Control Systems.
(9) AC 33.28-3, Guidance Material for 14 CFR 33.28, Engine Control Systems.
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c. RTCA, Inc. Documents. Copies of RTCA documents may be purchased from RTCA,
Inc., 1150 18th St. NW, Suite 910, Washington, D.C. 20036. Alternatively, copies may be
purchased on-line at http://www.rtca.org. RTCA documents referenced in this order are:
(3) RTCA, Inc., document RTCA/DO-248C, Supporting Information for DO-178C and
DO-278A, dated December 13, 2011.
(4) RTCA DO-330, Software Tool Qualification Considerations, dated December 13,
2011.
(7) RTCA DO-333, Formal Methods Supplement to DO-178C and DO-278A, dated
December 13, 2011.
4. Cancellation. This order cancels and supersedes FAA Order 8110.49 Chg 2, Software
Approval Guidelines, dated April 10, 2017.
5. Explanation of Changes. FAA Order 8110.49 Chg 2, dated 4/10/17, Chapters 5 – 16 were
deleted to eliminate duplication or conflict since the topics previously addressed in these
chapters are now addressed in AC 20-115D, AC 00-69, or were removed.
a. This order assumes that RTCA/DO-178B/C is the means of compliance proposed by the
applicant for software approval. If the applicant proposes other means, additional policy and
FAA guidance may be needed on a project-by-project basis.
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a. Certification authority is the aviation authority that accepts and/or approves software
life cycle data.
c. Original certification project is the first use of the software life cycle data in a
completed certification project.
d. Review is the act of inspecting or examining software life cycle data, software project
progress and records, and other evidence to assess compliance with RTCA/DO-178B/C
objectives. Review is an encompassing term and may consist of a combination of reading
documents, interviewing project personnel, witnessing activities, sampling data, and
participating in briefings. A review may be conducted at your own desk, at an applicant’s
facility, or at an applicant’s supplier’s facility.
e. Sampling is selecting a representative set of software life cycle data for inspection or
analysis. The purpose is to determine the compliance of all software life cycle data developed up
to that point in time in the project. Sampling is the primary means of assessing the compliance
of the software processes and data. Examples of sampling may include the following:
(4) Examining software quality assurance (SQA) records and configuration management
records.
h. Software library is a controlled repository of software and related data and documents
designed to aid in software development, use, or modification (see RTCA/DO-178B/C,
Glossary).
i. Software life cycle data are data produced during the software life cycle to plan, direct,
explain, define, record, or provide evidence of activities (see RTCA/DO-178B/C, Section 11.0).
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Sections 11.1 through 11.20 of RTCA/DO-178B and Sections 11.1 through 11.22 of
RTCA/DO 178C describe different kinds of software life cycle data.
k. Software plans and standards are a set of data that directs the software development
processes and integral processes (see RTCA/DO-178B/C, Sections 4.0 and 11.1 through 11.8).
l. Software tool is a computer program used to help develop, test, analyze, produce, or
modify another program or its documentation (see RTCA/DO-178B/C, Glossary).
n. Tool qualification is the process necessary to obtain certification credit for a software
tool within the context of a specific airborne system (see RTCA/DO-178B/C, Section 12.2 and
Glossary).
AC Advisory Circular
AIR Aircraft Certification Service
ASE Aviation Safety Engineer
ASI Aviation Safety Inspector
ASTC Amended Supplemental Type Certificate
ATC Amended Type Certificate
CFR Code of Federal Regulations
CRC Cyclic Redundancy Check
FAA Federal Aviation Administration
MIDO Manufacturing Inspection District Office
MISO Manufacturing Inspection Satellite Office
SAS Software Accomplishment Summary
SCI Software Configuration Index
SCMP Software Configuration Management Plan
SQA Software Quality Assurance
STC Supplemental Type Certificate
TC Type Certificate
TIA Type Inspection Authorization
TSO Technical Standard Order
TSR Total Score Result
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9. Records Management. Refer to Orders 0000.1G and 1350.14B or your office Records
Management Officer (RMO)/Directives Management Officer (DMO) for guidance regarding
retention or disposition of records.
10. Suggestions for Improvement. If you find deficiencies, a need for clarification, or want to
suggest improvements on this order, send a copy of FAA Form 1320-19, Directive Feedback
Information, to the Aircraft Certification Service, Attention: Directives Management Officer at
9-AWA-AVS-AIR-DMO@faa.gov, for consideration. If you urgently need an interpretation,
you may contact the Systems Integration Section at 202-267-1575 for guidance. You should also
use the FAA Form 1320-19 as a follow-up to verbal conversation. FAA Form 1320-19 may be
found in Appendix B and electronically at https://employees.faa.gov/tools_resources/forms/.
11. Where to Find this Order. You can find this order at
http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/orders_notices and on the FAA Regulatory and
Guidance Library (RGL) website at http://rgl.faa.gov.
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1. General.
b. Although desk reviews may be used to successfully review software, on-site reviews
have the advantages of access to software personnel, to all automation, and to test setup. Both
on-site and desk reviews may be delegated to properly authorized designees. For on-site
reviews, the certification authority should include the following practical arrangements with the
software developer:
(6) Listing of software data to be made available (both before and at the review(s)).
(9) Specification of date(s) and means for communicating review results (may include
corrective actions and other post-review activities).
a. The certification authority may review the software life cycle processes and associated
data to obtain assurance that a software product submitted as part of a certification application
complies with the certification basis and satisfies the applicable objectives of RTCA/DO-
178B/C. The software review process assists both the certification authority and the applicant to
determine if a particular project will meet the certification basis, applicable guidance, and
RTCA/DO-178B/C objectives by providing:
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(2) Visibility into the implementation compliance and the applicable data.
(3) Objective evidence that the software project adheres to its approved software plans
and procedures.
(4) The opportunity for the certification authority to monitor designee activities.
(2) Product attributes (such as size, complexity, system functionality or novelty, and
software design).
(8) Applicability of issue papers for software-specific aspects of the certification project
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Chapter 3. [Reserved]
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1. General. This chapter describes the software conformity inspection process. This process
applies to TC, STC, ATC, ASTC, and TSO authorization projects. This chapter is based on FAA
Order 8110.4B and RTCA/DO-178B. While RTCA/DO-178B is recognized by AC 20-115B as
a means, but not the only means, to secure FAA approval of the digital computer software, it is
used here because it is the typical means of compliance used by applicants integrating airborne
software. If another means of compliance other than RTCA/DO-178B is used, the conformity
concepts of this chapter should still apply.
3. Software Part Conformity Inspection. The conformity of the test article, test setup, test
procedures used, and the validity of the test results should be established for each test conducted
for certification credit. Test for certification credit is defined in this chapter as system
certification test conducted under an FAA-approved test plan for the purpose of showing
compliance to the regulations. The FAA-approved test plan is the test plan approved before
conducting an official FAA ground or flight test. It is not the Software Verification Plan
referenced in RTCA/DO-178B. Examples of tests conducted to satisfy FAA certification credit
are RTCA/DO-160D environmental qualification tests, system functional tests, systems
integration tests, aircraft ground functional tests, and aircraft Type Inspection Authorization
Tests (TIA) flight tests.
(1) Establish that the software baseline complies to its type design and released software
plans by conducting FAA desk and/or on-site reviews (see chapter 2 of this order); or establish
that the software DER (if delegated) has approved the baseline software by submitting a FAA
Form 8110-3, “Statement of Compliance with the Federal Aviation Regulations.” The DER
should state in Form 8110-3 that the “purpose of Form 8110-3 is to approve the software
baseline for the purposes of conducting FAA testing for certification credit.”
Note: In some cases, special purpose software is used for environmental qualification
testing. When this is the case, the manufacturer must verify, validate, and control the
configuration of the special purpose test software. The test software should be included as part
of the test setup conformity conducted before the qualification testing.
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(2) Establish that the test configuration of the software to be installed in the Line
Replaceable Unit complies with its software test baseline.
(3) Establish that all software artifacts associated with the test baseline are properly
identified, under configuration control, and reflect the current state of the software under test.
(4) Establish that any software development tools or software verification tools that
require qualification have been qualified. However, if the tool qualification activities are not
completed at the time of conformity, the tools and supporting data should have their
configuration documented.
(5) Initiate a FAA Form 8120-10, Request for Conformity, and submit it to the
MIDO/MISO, providing instructions for the ASI to perform the following:
(a) Verify that the proper build and load file(s) was/were removed from the
software configuration management (SCM) library.
(b) Verify that approved build and load instructions are followed during the
software build and load process.
(c) Verify that any data integrity checks and software part numbers (including
version numbers) are verified in the Line Replacement Unit.
(d) Verify that the test setup conforms to the test setup configuration identified in
the approved engineering test plan.
(6) Establish that the procedure used for retention, archive, and retrieval of the software
life cycle data is compliant with the approved SCM plan.
b. The ASI should perform those tasks mentioned in paragraph 4-3a(5) above and as
identified on the Form 8120-10.
a. An approved, controlled version of the software is loaded successfully into the target
system in conformance with approved system installation procedures and/or software loading
procedures, and
b. The correct version for that system was loaded and will successfully initialize.
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(3) A FAA Form 8120-10, Request for Conformity, or FAA Form 8110-1, Type
Inspection Authorization (TIA), is initiated and contains the software part number and/or version
number for which an installation conformity inspection is being requested. The software part
number and/or version number should be identifiable, under configuration control, reproducible,
and documented in the SCI or similar configuration documentation. The request should also
include any actions/activities to be verified by the ASI including:
(a) Verification that the correct software version has been loaded into the system
and that the correct system hardware (part numbers and serial numbers) has been installed on the
aircraft.
(b) Verification that the loading procedure(s) ensures the correct software part
number (and version number) is loaded into the correct system hardware components (serial
numbers and part numbers). An error indication should result anytime that the software loading
procedure or ground support equipment detects a mismatch of part and version numbers or an
unsuccessful load. The installation conformity inspection should determine that the
manufacturer’s loading procedure(s) are followed and that the software load initializes correctly.
Mismatches should be identified and documented.
d. The ASI should perform the software installation conformity inspection addressed in
the FAA Form 8120-10, or FAA TIA Form 8110-1 (see item 4-4c(3) of this chapter) by one of
two methods:
(1) By physically witnessing the successful loading of the correct software part number
and version into the actual system (that is, actual part number and serial number) installed on the
aircraft or to be installed on the aircraft. Successful load may be determined by witnessing that
an integrity check was used to verify the software load (for example, comparison of cyclic
redundancy checks (CRC)), and by witnessing that the software successfully executed the
initialization procedure. The software loading process must be done in accordance with the
software load procedures reviewed and approved by the ASE.
(2) By obtaining the manufacturing inspection records that document the results of the
actual software loading. These records should include aircraft identification information, system
hardware part numbers and serial numbers, and software part numbers and version number, as
applicable. The records provided should identify the hardware unit part number and serial
number information so that the ASI (or designee, if delegated) can trace it to the system installed
on the aircraft. The records provided should also show the software part number that was loaded
into the system hardware. The records should indicate when and how the software was loaded
and that the loading and initialization process was successful.
e. The software installation conformity inspection ensures that the system(s) installed on the
aircraft and the software loaded into the system(s) for the purpose of conducting aircraft-level
testing conforms to the FAA-approved type design data.
5. Summary. The purpose of a conformity inspection is to ensure that the product built
(hardware and software) conforms to the type design. The two types of software conformity
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inspections addressed in this chapter are “software part conformity inspections” and “software
installation conformity inspections.” The responsibilities for ASEs and ASIs are identified for
each of the two types of software conformity inspections addressed in this chapter. Software part
conformity inspections and software installation conformity inspections are required whenever
an applicant is to conduct laboratory system/hardware testing for certification credit as defined in
paragraph 4-3, and during the installation of the system with the embedded software for the
purpose of conducting aircraft-level ground and/or flight testing. The purpose of the
aforementioned software conformity inspections is to ensure:
a. The configuration of the unit under test reflects the correct hardware and software
configuration that was approved for the given test being conducted for FAA certification credit.
b. The configuration of the unit under test is well documented should there be any changes
to the hardware and/or software after the tests have already been conducted.
c. The systems installed on the aircraft and the software loaded into the installed systems for
the purpose of conducting aircraft-level testing conforms to the FAA-approved type design.
d. The final software and hardware configuration product baseline presented for
certification conforms to the type design.
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Appendix A
Appendix A. Level of Involvement Worksheets
Appendix A contains three worksheets that may be used to help the certification authority or
designee determine an appropriate level of involvement in software projects. The worksheets are
provided as examples only; may contain criteria that are not applicable to all projects; and their
use, individually or in combination, is not mandatory. Worksheet 1 indicates a level of
involvement based on the software level of the project. Worksheet 2 allows for additional
refinement of involvement based on more specific criteria. Worksheet 3 uses the total score
result from Worksheet 2 to indicate a level of involvement.
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Appendix A
Worksheet 2: Level of Involvement Based on Other Relevant Project Criteria
Criteria Scale MIN. MAX. Score
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Appendix A
Criteria Scale MIN. MAX. Score
3.4 Company stability and Scale: 0 3 6
commitment to safety. Stability: Low Med High
3.5 Success of past Scale: 0 3 6
company certification Success: None > 50% All
efforts.
4. The Current System and Software Application
4.1 Complexity of the Scale: 0 5 10
system architecture, Complex: High Med Low
functions, and
interfaces.
4.2 Complexity and size of Scale: 0 5 10
the software and safety Complex: High Med Low
features.
4.3 Novelty of design and Scale: 0 5 10
use of new technology. Newness: Much Some None
4.4 Software development Scale: 0 3 6
and verification Environ: None Older Modern
environment.
4.5 Use of alternative Scale: 0 3 6
methods or additional Standard: Much Little None
considerations.
5. Designee Capabilities
5.1 Experience of Scale: 0 5 10
designee(s) with Projects: <5 5-10 > 10
RTCA/DO-178B/C.
5.2 Designee authority, Scale: 0 5 10
autonomy, and Autonomy: None Self-starter Outgoing
independence.
5.3 Designee cooperation, Scale: 0 5 10
openness, and issue Effectiveness: Non-Responsive Responsive Cooperative/Open
resolution effectiveness.
5.4 Relevance of assigned Scale: 0 5 10
designees’ experience. Related: None Somewhat Exact
5.5 Designees’ current Scale: 0 5 10
workload. Workload: High Medium Low
5.6 Experience of Scale: 0 3 5
designees with other Projects: <5 5-10 > 10
software standards
(other than RTCA/DO-
178[]).
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Appendix A
Worksheet 3: Level of Involvement Combining Results of Worksheet 2 with Software Level
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Appendix B
Please submit any written comments or recommendation for improving this directive, or suggest
new items or subjects to be added to it. Also, if you find an error, please tell us about it.
To: 9-AWA-AVS-AIR-DMO@faa.gov or
complete the form online at https://ksn2.faa.gov/avs/dfs/Pages/Home.aspx
Other comments:
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