Robustness Testing
Section 08: Software Certification (DO-178C)
Definition
Testing that evaluates the software's response to abnormal inputs, conditions, and environmental stresses that are outside the normal operating envelope but that the software might encounter. Robustness testing verifies that the software handles invalid inputs, out-of-range values, corrupted data, timing anomalies, and resource exhaustion gracefully — without producing hazardous outputs, entering undefined states, or crashing. Robustness testing complements normal-range requirements-based testing and is driven by the HLR requirements for error handling, input validation, and fault tolerance.
Where This Shows Up
Robustness testing addresses the reality that airborne software may encounter conditions outside its nominal operating range due to hardware failures, data corruption, electromagnetic interference, or other anomalies. The software must handle these conditions safely. For higher-DAL software, robustness requirements and their verification are particularly important because the consequences of unhandled abnormal conditions could be severe.
Primary Sources
Addresses robustness testing as part of the requirements-based testing strategy.
Related Terms
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