CERTON completes safety-hazard analysis for Avionica communications on Boeing aircraft

MELBOURNE, Fla., 12 Jan. 2016. CERTON Engineering personnel in Melbourne, Florida, have performed a Fault Tree Analysis for Avionica’s installation of the satLINK Max System in the Boeing 737, 757, 767, and 777 commercial passenger jets. The system analysis focused on components categorized as “safety critical” with a Design Assurance Level (DAL) D in accordance with RTCA’s DO-178B.

DO-178B/C, Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certificationis a guideline for safety-critical software used in airborne systems and is considered the de facto standard for developing avionics software systems. The FAA applies DO-178B/C to determine if the software will perform reliably in an airborne environment.

The scope of this project involved an extensive System Safety Hazard Analysis (SSHA) performed by CERTON in coordination with Avionica.

This project reinforces the continued growth and expansion for CERTON in the aerospace industry, CERTON President/CEO Tim Stockton explains. “Developing new relationships with safety-critical equipment manufacturers, such as Avionica, is a key component to our continued success here at CERTON. We are excited to be applying our expertise toward the System Safety Hazard Analyses that drive decisions on the level of safety criticality for the entire product life-cycle.”

“The satLINK MAX is being seen as the leading ‘off-the-shelf’ solution for operators who are required to install and operate satellite voice communications on business aircraft to be able to operate in the North Atlantic,” says Anthony Rios, vice president of sales for Avionica.

At less than 4 pounds (1.8kg) in weight, the satLINK MAX is the lightest Iridium satellite communication solution, making it ideal for business jets, Rios describes. The technology is in use on more than 800 aircraft worldwide, supported by existing supplemental type certificates (STCs) for Boeing 727, 737, 747, 757, 767, 777, and MD10/11 aircraft.

With up to four Iridium modems, satLINK MAX supports multiple voice and data services with a single dual-element antenna. Typical satLINK MAX SATCOM installations include two Air Traffic Service flight deck voice channels, one FANS-1/A datalink channel, and one voice and data capable cabin service channel.

Over the past nine years, CERTON has provided safety‑critical solutions to the aerospace, medical device, and transportation industries. CERTON has internally developed tools and exclusive technology designed to streamline approvals of safety-critical systems, software, and complex hardware. These competitive advantages allow CERTON to minimize the time-to-market of customer products while providing a Firm‑Fixed Cost to its customers. CERTON provides expertise in all phases of systems, software, and complex hardware product design life cycles to support rapid approval of safety-critical customer products, officials say.

Founded in 1992, Avionica is a data collection and data transmission manufacturer, designing and producing safety-qualified solutions designed to revolutionize air transportation. The firm has earned 18 Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) from the FAA and multiple certification approvals from Canada, EASA, UAE GCAA, and China and is approved on more than 250 models of aircraft under the FAA’s Approved Model List (AML).