Scripting Engine Design Approaches for Avionics Systems

Abstract

Avionics software development is inherently challenging due to its complexity, high cost, and high demands for real-time performance and safety-critical certification. Traditional use of compiled languages results in longer development cycles and limited customization due to complex certification processes. The paper suggests using scripting languages, particularly Lua, to address these issues, potentially saving time and resources while maintaining compliance with safety standards. It identifies necessary modifications to the Lua run-time for DO-178C certification: altering the garbage collector for real-time behavior and adjusting the typing system for type safety. The paper also presents a technical implementation of the Lua scripting engine as a proof-of-concept, evaluating its stability and real-time capability compared to a C implementation. The results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed implementation. The paper will also look at how such approach could be certified.