SYSTEM ENGINEERING

SDLC Framework

Genova delivers comprehensive systems engineering for our customers, including systems documentation, design, integration, and testing. Genova’s systems engineers have experience across Boeing, Airbus, and Embraer, as well as helicopter and military applications.

We work closely with our customers to interpret and translate business needs into testable systems and software requirements, application and test code, test depth based on system criticality, and concise regression testing and artifact generation to meet SOI audit standards. Our system integrators also have expertise with porting software onto proprietary hardware for our hardware customers. Finally, Genova’s V&V testers deliver requirements-based testing at the conclusion of the project, to ensure the customer’s deliverable is on scope and fully functional.

Genova utilizes a structured and repeatable Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) process framework for life cycle software engineering and post-production software support. We have demonstrated our proficiency in applying our SDLC approach successfully for DoD and commercial customers on key programs. Our standard SDLC employs a structured engineering approach that is based upon industry systems engineering standard (ANSI-EIA-632), compliant with SEI CMMI Level 3 guidelines, component-based, and exercises a building block evolution and refinement approach.

Our approach is adaptable to incorporate Agile methodology, while supporting all required documentation and deliverable documents. Our Agile methodology has several beneficial features to include:

• early and continuous delivery of valuable software,
• short-incremental developmental cycles,
• active customer participation,
• requirements defined iteratively over the system’s development life cycle,
• design fully documented prior to the final development release, and
• validation and risk reduction realized through continual customer review of working software and of prototypes/mockups.

Expertise

Genova’s system engineering expertise in avionics and aerospace software development and testing can support analysis of timing and timing constraints are critical in avionics and networks design, when these restrictions cannot be met by regular operating systems

Hence the use of a real time operating system (RTOS) and subsequent testing, resulting in many of the updates in the new DO-178C requirements.
Genova’s systems engineers have extensive domain specific protocols and standards. Depending on the customer, this includes any number of the following:

• ARINC 429 Federated Network Layouts were introduced in the 1980s as bus system for data communication in commercial aircrafts. Messages are transmitted with a maximum data rate of 100 Kbit/s (High-speed) or 12.5 Kbit/s (Low-Speed).

• MIL-STD-1553b, the Aircraft Internal Time Division Command/Response Multiplex Data bus, is a widely used Integrated Modular Avionics design in military aircraft (e.g. Airbus’s A400M) and even the International Space Station. It is one of the “bridge” standards that helped bridge the gap between basic signaling and modern networking standards like AFDX.

• ARINC 664 AFDX (Avionics Full DupleX Switched Ethernet) implemented in the A380, A350, B787 and other programs.

• ARINC 825 specifies the underlying communication both within CAN-based subsystems and between CAN subsystems, which might for example be interconnected by AFDX. It offers addressing mechanisms, communication mechanisms, a service structure, profile descriptions, and much more.

• CAN & CAN FD (CAN with flexible data rate) Genova has worked with a number of application-specific protocols are based on ARINC 825. For example, ARINC 810 and 812 specify the communication between modules of the galley (Galley Master, Galley Inserts) with a focus on power management, and ARINC 826 specifies Software Data Loading over CAN.

Genova’s systems expertise can be instrumental in designing and maintaining the embedded controls which are used to host the applications and interface between the mechanical systems and the operators of these systems. We participate in system development activities to assure our designs are technically sound and:

• Meet requirements and compliance standards (RTCA, ARINC, CE, UL, FAA, FCC, etc.).
• Contribute to design reviews, D&P-FMEA and Control Plan
• Design for manufacturability, D-FMEA capability
• Statistical analysis tools (DMAIC, DfSS, Minitab, etc.)

Consulting Services

Genova can also provide consulting on:

• Evaluation of software/hardware interfaces in high-performance hardware for interfacing to buses via PCMCIA, ExpressCard, USB, PCI, and PXI/Compact PCI.

• Functional safety, requirement engineering and development, product management, efficiency gains, Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), engineering methodology, and change management.

CONTACT FORM
FOLLOW US ON

(319) 378-8455

4250 River Center Ct NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402

Monday Through Friday 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM