Considerations on Software Verification of Multi-Core Processors in Pursuance of Aeronautical Certification

Embedded systems undergo a rigorous certification process to ensure the airworthiness of aircraft. The process becomes increasingly difficult as the systems become complex. Nowadays, multi-core processors (MCPs) are present in everyday equipment. Naturally, the question of their certification for aeronautical use then arises. Indeed, while they offer many advantages, they come with risks concerning the potential use of shared resources leading to interference between applications, and therefore unsafe behaviour for airworthiness. The AMC 20-193 is one of the most prominent certification standards for the use of MCP in avionic systems and equipment. It provides a set of ten objectives, going from software planning to verification of the MCPs. While these objectives enlighten the applicant on the path to certification, they are not prescriptive on the means to satisfy them. Our work aims at investigating a way to satisfy a particularly challenging objective of the AMC 20-193 dealing with software verification, named MCP Software 1, in a particular context. In this paper, we present our understanding of MCP Software 1 and suggest a strategy for its satisfaction for MCPs in our scope. We also recommend an adapted process to apply the strategy.