Analysis of the latest technologies being developed by avionics OEMs for the emerging eVTOL market.

Thanks to parallel advancements in battery technology and autonomous vehicles resulting from Tesla and other pioneering electric automobile manufacturers, we are rapidly approaching the era of the unmanned flying taxi.

Rick Hearn explains how the key computing elements of an avionics system must all be designed with safety in mind and endure stringent testing to prove they can meet the required Design Assurance Level (DAL).

Given its complexity and the critical applications for which it is designed, embedded avionics software must undergo a rigorous approval and testing process before it can be approved as airworthy.

The rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) and Industrial IoT (IIoT) is not the only reason for increased demand for safety- and security-related solutions.

Rick Hearn from Curtiss-Wright looks at how COTS DO-254 safety-certifiable avionics hardware lowers cost and reduces risk.

In this Q&A we discuss the benefits that occur for commercial aircraft from certifying COTS hardware to DO-254 DAL A, its similarities to certifying software to DO-178C, and how it might apply to unmanned aircraft.

John McHale with Military Embedded Systems' April 2016 roundtable with industry experts looks at Safety Critical avionics trends.