Hardware in Airborne Systems (DO-254)

DO-254 is the certification standard for complex electronic hardware in airborne systems (FPGAs, PLDs, ASICs). Where DO-178C governs the code, DO-254 governs the silicon and the hardware-description language that defines its behavior. The five Design Assurance Levels match DO-178C. Worldwide there are probably fewer than 10,000 engineers fluent in DO-254 at the DAL A or B level. They cluster around Boeing, Airbus, Collins Aerospace, Honeywell, and BAE Systems. Roles where this matters: Hardware Engineering, FPGA Engineering, Avionics Engineering.