This paper presents the enhancements made in a DO-178C/DO-331 based software development lifecycle with respect to the software testing and verification activities. The primary focus is on improving the performance of the hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test bed by incorporating an FPGA. The HIL testing framework consists of using an FPGA to simulate electrical components like the battery and motor. Utilization of the FPGA makes it possible to achieve high frequencies up to 50-100 MHz and reduce CPU overloads. Secondarily, robustness testing of the software using fault injection methods is introduced. As most of the functionality is developed using model-based technology with MATLAB/Simulink, it becomes easier to enhance robustness by injecting faults into models. The research also involves integrating a simulator cockpit from X-Plane into the HIL simulation for pilot commands and visualization purposes. Overall, the research covers significant improvements to the verification strategies of safety-critical software based on DO-178C/DO-331.
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