Kalynnda M. Berens
Software Assurance and Safety Engineer
SAIC contractor at the NASA Glenn Research Center

 

Where are programmable logic devices used within NASA? How are they being used? And even more importantly, how are they being assured for safety, reliability, and mission success?

Programmable logic devices include Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA), Complex Programmable Logic Devices (CPLD), and System-on-a chip (SOC) devices. These complex electronic devices are blurring the border between hardware and software. While ultimately hardware devices, they are designed, coded, and programmed like software. Is their duel-nature reflected in the processes used to assure them within NASA? Have the assurance techniques used kept pace with the changing technology?

These questions were asked of NASA project managers, engineers, facilities managers, and assurance personnel across the NASA centers. This paper presents the raw results of the survey, which was conducted as part of a NASA IV&V Center research project. In addition, the paper will present a preliminary analysis of the results, and what early conclusions can be drawn from the data.