Equipment & Avionics Certification
Equipment and avionics certification data support
Certification-data support for equipment and avionics suppliers: evidence review, compliance-matrix and means-of-compliance mapping, traceability, and finding closure across TSO and STC workflows. Each page covers a specific workflow, evidence set, standard, or finding.
Certification workflows
TSO, STC, and approval workflows and the evidence each one requires.
TSO certification data support for equipment suppliersTSO certification data support: structure the certification basis, build means-of-compliance and traceability, and assemSTC certification data support for modifiers and suppliersSTC certification data support helps modifiers and suppliers assemble the installation-level compliance data an STC submAML STC expansion support: adding models to an approved listAML STC expansion support helps suppliers add aircraft models to an approved model list, substantiating eligibility and Certification evidence review before authority submittalA certification evidence review reads the qualification, software, and hardware data behind a submission and tells you wCertification-basis mapping for a certification programCertification-basis mapping fixes the airworthiness rules, special conditions, and equivalent findings that apply to a pMeans-of-compliance mapping for each requirementMeans-of-compliance mapping assigns how each requirement will be shown met, by test, analysis, inspection, or demonstratCertification-plan review before authority engagementA certification-plan review checks that the plan covers the basis, commits to credible methods, and matches the program Compliance-matrix review for a supplier submissionA compliance-matrix review checks a supplier's matrix for full requirement coverage and live citations to evidence that Certification-data traceability review for equipment suppliersA traceability review walks each requirement through design, verification, and evidence so the certification data holds Conformity-evidence readiness review for test and inspectionA conformity-evidence readiness review checks that the test article, build records, and conformity statements line up wiAuthority-submittal readiness review before you fileAn authority-submittal readiness review checks that the data package, compliance reports, and references are complete anFinding-closure support for certification programsFinding-closure support maps each open certification finding to the missing evidence and a closure response, then sequenContinued-airworthiness deliverables review for approval holdersA continued-airworthiness deliverables review checks an approval's in-service obligations, the ICA, life limits, and serICA development and review for modifications and equipmentICA development and review builds or checks instructions for continued airworthiness so the maintenance, inspection, andInstallation-approval support for equipment on an aircraftInstallation-approval support builds the data that ties an item of equipment to a specific aircraft installation, coveriMajor-change evidence support for certified articlesMajor-change evidence support: classify the change, scope the affected certification basis, and assemble the substantiatQualification-evidence review for airborne equipmentQualification-evidence review: confirm DO-160 environmental test categories, levels, and reports match the equipment's iCertification record validation for approved articlesCertification record validation: confirm the records on file are complete, consistent, and tied to the configuration theApproval-data validation for installations and alterationsApproval-data validation: confirm the data behind an installation or alteration is approved or acceptable as required, cType-design data-package readiness for certified productsType-design data-package readiness: confirm the type-design definition, configuration items, and supporting data are comField-approval data support for one-off alterationsField-approval data support: assemble the substantiating data for a one-off alteration so the field-approval route is deSoftware certification liaison support for airborne softwareSoftware certification liaison support: prepare DO-178C plans and lifecycle data for stage-of-involvement reviews so sofHardware certification liaison support for airborne electronic hardwareHardware certification liaison support keeps DO-254 lifecycle data, the SOI review agenda, and authority-findings dialog
Evidence & deliverables
Certification evidence sets, what they must show, and how they are reviewed.
Certification compliance matrix reviewA compliance matrix review checks that every requirement maps to a means of compliance and to evidence that currently suPlan for Software Aspects of Certification (PSAC) reviewA PSAC review checks that the plan for software aspects of certification names the software level, the lifecycle data, aSoftware Accomplishment Summary (SAS) reviewA Software Accomplishment Summary review checks that the SAS reports what the software program actually completed againsHardware Accomplishment Summary (HAS) reviewA Hardware Accomplishment Summary review checks that the HAS reports what the airborne electronic hardware program complStructural-coverage evidence review for airborne softwareA structural-coverage evidence review checks that code coverage meets the DO-178C criteria for the software level and thRequirements-based test evidence review for airborne softwareA requirements-based test evidence review checks that tests trace to requirements, exercise normal and robustness behaviDerived-requirements review for systems and softwareA derived-requirements review checks that derived requirements are identified, justified, and fed back to the safety assEnvironmental qualification evidence review for airborne equipmentAn environmental qualification evidence review checks DO-160G test categories, levels, and reports against the declared Airborne software lifecycle evidence review under DO-178CA DO-178C software lifecycle evidence review checks that lifecycle data matches the assigned software level and that theAirborne electronic hardware evidence review under DO-254A DO-254 hardware evidence review checks that airborne electronic hardware lifecycle data matches the design assurance lSystems-development evidence review under ARP4754BAn ARP4754B systems-development evidence review checks that development-assurance data ties item definition, requirementSafety-assessment evidence review under ARP4761AAn ARP4761A safety-assessment evidence review checks that the FHA, PSSA, and SSA agree and that failure-condition classiRequirements-traceability review for certification evidenceA requirements-traceability review checks the bidirectional trace from system requirements down through software and harVerification-traceability review for certification evidenceA verification-traceability review checks that every requirement traces forward to a verification method and to a resultConfiguration-management evidence review for avionics and equipment suppliersA configuration-management evidence review checks that baselines, configuration items, and change history identify the eQuality-assurance records review for avionics and equipment suppliersA quality-assurance records review checks that audit results, process records, and corrective actions show the certificaTool-qualification evidence review for avionics and equipment suppliersA tool-qualification evidence review checks that each development and verification tool carries the qualification its crCompliance-checklist review for avionics and equipment suppliersA compliance-checklist review checks that every objective on the checklist carries a real status and points to evidence Independent certification-plan review for avionics and equipment suppliersAn independent certification-plan review checks that the plan sets a defensible basis, names the standards and assuranceAccomplishment-summary review for avionics and equipment suppliersAn accomplishment-summary review checks that the closing summary matches the plan it answers and reflects the evidence aQualification-test-report review for avionics and equipment suppliersA qualification-test-report review checks that environmental test reports cover the required categories, match the test Compliance-matrix review when one matrix carries both an FAA and an EASA basisAn independent read of a supplier's compliance matrix that carries both an FAA and an EASA basis, checking method adequaConformity-records review for the articles a certification test relied onA review of conformity inspection records and statements that ties each test article to the configuration it was built aICA package review for the instructions an installed article must carryA review of an Instructions for Continued Airworthiness package, checking limitations, task derivation, format, and distFinding and action-item register review before a program closes its open itemsA review of a certification finding and action-item register, checking that every item has an owner, a status, and closu
Standards
The standards behind certification evidence and how compliance is demonstrated.
Part 33 engine certification data supportPart 33 engine certification support reconciles the airworthiness standard, test substantiation, and life-limited part bMOPS compliance support for airborne equipmentMOPS compliance support checks that an article's performance evidence answers every minimum operational performance stanEnvironmental category mapping for airborne equipmentEnvironmental category mapping derives the DO-160 test categories an article needs from its installation environment, thSoftware level objective mapping under DO-178CSoftware level objective mapping confirms the DO-178C objective set, including independence, matches the assigned softwaHardware design-assurance level mapping under DO-254Hardware design-assurance level mapping ties each complex electronic hardware item to its DO-254 level and objective setDevelopment-assurance level allocation under ARP4754BDevelopment-assurance level allocation traces each function and item DAL from its failure-condition classification underBilateral standards-acceptance mapping for exportBilateral standards-acceptance mapping identifies the importing authority's special conditions and standard deltas underConsensus-standard compliance support for accepted standardsConsensus-standard compliance support confirms an article meets the consensus standards an authority accepts as a means DO-178C software compliance support for airborne softwareDO-178C software compliance support checks that the lifecycle data, objective set, and structural coverage match the assDO-254 hardware compliance support for airborne electronic hardwareDO-254 hardware compliance support checks that the PHAC, design assurance evidence, and verification records hold up forDO-160G environmental qualification support for airborne equipmentDO-160G qualification support checks that the environmental category selections, test plan, and qualification reports maARP4754B development-assurance support at the system levelARP4754B development-assurance support checks requirements validation, DAL assignment, and the link to software and hardARP4761A safety-assessment support for airborne systemsARP4761A safety-assessment support checks the FHA, PSSA, and SSA chain, the FTA and FMEA evidence, and the link to DAL aDO-326A airworthiness-security support for airborne systemsDO-326A airworthiness-security support checks the security risk assessment, threat scenarios, and measures evidence agaiDO-330 tool-qualification support for development and verification toolsDO-330 tool-qualification support checks the tool qualification level, the tool operational requirements, and the qualifDO-200B aeronautical-data quality support for equipment suppliersDO-200B aeronautical-data support: trace the data chain, assign data quality requirements, and assemble the process and TSO compliance support for avionics and equipment suppliersTSO compliance support: confirm the TSO and its minimum performance standard, map deviations, and assemble the article aETSO compliance support and TSO-to-ETSO mapping for suppliersETSO compliance support: map a TSO article to its ETSO, reconcile the CS-ETSO differences, and assemble the declaration Part 23 certification-basis support for equipment on normal-category aircraftPart 23 certification-basis support: fix the amendment, select consensus standards as the means of compliance, and tracePart 25 certification-basis support for equipment on transport-category airplanesPart 25 certification-basis support: fix the amendment and special conditions, tie failure-condition classifications to Part 27 certification-basis support for equipment on normal-category rotorcraftPart 27 certification-basis support: fix the amendment, account for the rotorcraft vibration and HIRF environment, and tPart 29 certification-basis support for equipment on transport-category rotorcraftPart 29 certification-basis support: fix the amendment and category-A provisions, tie failure effects to compliance, and
Product categories
Equipment categories and the certification considerations specific to each.
Airborne electronic equipment certification data supportAirborne electronic equipment certification: structure the authorization basis, prove DO-160 qualification, and trace soCommunication equipment certification data supportCommunication equipment certification: substantiate radio performance, emissions and susceptibility behavior, and the daNavigation equipment certification data supportNavigation equipment certification: substantiate position accuracy and integrity, qualify the unit to its environment, aSurveillance equipment certification data supportSurveillance equipment certification: substantiate transponder and traffic-awareness report quality, qualify the unit, aDisplay systems certification data supportDisplay systems certification: substantiate symbology and alerting integrity, qualify the unit to its environment, and tSensor systems certification data supportSensor systems certification: substantiate measurement accuracy and fault detection, qualify the sensor to its exposure,Flight-deck equipment certification data supportFlight-deck equipment certification: substantiate crew-interface integrity, qualify the unit to the cockpit, and trace tCabin electronic equipment certification data supportCabin electronic equipment certification: substantiate non-interference and occupant safety, qualify the unit, and segreRotorcraft equipment installation certification data supportRotorcraft installation certification: substantiate equipment fit on a helicopter, address rotor-driven vibration, and tFixed-wing equipment installation certification data supportFixed-wing installation certification: substantiate equipment fit on an aeroplane, address the bay environment, and tracBusiness-aircraft equipment installation certification data supportBusiness-aircraft installation certification: substantiate equipment fit on a business jet against its prior modificatioCommercial-aircraft equipment installation certification data supportCommercial-aircraft installation certification: substantiate equipment fit on a transport aircraft across a fleet, and tAntenna system certification data for avionics suppliersAntenna system certification data: reconcile installed RF performance, HIRF and lightning indirect-effects protection, aPower-supply equipment certification data supportPower-supply equipment certification data: substantiate DO-160 power-input and power-quality behavior, conducted and radData-loading equipment certification data supportData-loading equipment certification data: substantiate the loader's DO-178C software, the load and verification integriRecorder equipment certification data supportRecorder equipment certification data: substantiate crash survivability across impact, fire, and immersion, DO-178C soft
Certification problems
Common evidence gaps and findings, and how they are closed.
Requirements marked met without verification evidence behind themWhen a requirement is marked met but no test, analysis, inspection, or review record sits behind it, the claim is unsubsCompliance-matrix entries that cite superseded or moved documentsA compliance matrix points at document revisions that have since been superseded, renumbered, or moved. Catch stale citaCertification-basis items missing from the compliance matrixA requirement in the certification basis never made it into the compliance matrix, so nothing addresses it. Find the uncDerived requirements missing from the trace and safety assessmentDesign and implementation introduced derived requirements that never entered the trace or fed the safety assessment. FinEnvironmental qualification that misses the categories the installation needsThe qualification test report covers fewer DO-160 categories or levels than the installation environment demands. Find tSoftware lifecycle data that does not match the assigned software levelThe DO-178C lifecycle data does not satisfy the objectives the assigned software level demands, often on coverage or indAirborne hardware data that does not match its design-assurance levelDO-254 hardware lifecycle data falls short of the design-assurance level assigned to the device, often on verification oWhen a certification requirement has no means of compliance assignedRequirements in the certification basis with no assigned means of compliance stall an avionics or equipment program. SeeCertification compliance claims that the evidence does not supportA met status with no evidence behind it is an unsupported certification claim. See how avionics and equipment suppliers Certification findings left open with no closure evidence on fileOpen certification findings stall a program when no closure evidence is filed against them. See how the gap between a fi
Next step
Review a certification evidence package
Tell us the asset, the event, and the evidence in scope, and we will outline a focused first engagement.