Hardware Development Standards

FOREWORD

The objectives of this document are:

• To establish a standardized and coherent process for the development of hardware (HWCI) for a specific project. It is intended that this document shall contain the eclectic requirements for the development as required by the contract requirements;
• To provide reference for common terminology and vocabulary for hardware development;
• To establish clear expectations between acquirer and developer. This standard shall establish common expectations about the process and documentation to be prepared.

The requirements of this standard shall be applicable to all phases of the hardware development life cycle. It shall be applicable for hardware to be developed, modified, reused, procured, prepared to other standards, or procured off-the-shelf.

The total documentation suite comprising the Hardware Development Standards may be referred to as the hardware: 'Project Standards', 'Quality Plan', 'Quality System', Management plan', or Standards' by various companies, national, and international organizations.

1. SCOPE

1.1 Identification.

This 'Hardware Development Standards' (HDS) document establishes the standard for the development, acquisition, and support of all hardware for the project.
This standard will provide a concise and complete method for implementing a uniform hardware development process for all the hardware required by the project.

1.2 Purpose.

The purpose of this document is to define a uniform process by integrating the requirements if the various standardization documents prepared previously to develop hardware. It represents an eclectic interpretation of the requirements in these documents (MIL-STD-100, BS 308, etc.,) fit the requirements for the development, acquisition, and support process.

1.3 Overview of the document.

This standard has been prepared to meet the hardware development requirements for the project. Its use is to specify "what" is required to develop hardware whether it is being designed, procured, modified, reused, etc.

1.4 Relationship to other plans and standard.

This standard will be compatible with the "Project Management System" standards and plans namely the 'Systems Engineering Management Plan', Configuration Management Plan, and 'Technical Documentation Standard'.

This standard requires the preparation of a common "project" set of plans and procedures to specify the "code of practice", "work instructions" and identification for the project.
See figure for an graphical illustration of the hierarchy.

2. REFERENCED DOCUMENTS

Where no issue is stated the latest issue shall take precedence.

• MIL-STD-100;
• ISO 9000
• DEF STAN
• ISO 1000
• BS 9000

2.2 Project documents.

• Systems Engineering Management Plan;
• Configuration Management plan;
• Technical Documentation Standard;
• Hardware Engineering Manual
• Hardware Product Evaluation Plan
• Hardware Configuration Management Plan

2.2 Source of documents.

The documents referenced above shall be available from the project library.

2.1 Order of precedence.

In the event of conflict between the text of this document and the references cited above the text of this document shall take precedence.

3. REQUIREMENTS

3.1 System/hardware development life cycle.

A system/hardware development life cycle that includes the following phases shall be implemented:

• System/hardware requirements analysis;
• Hardware requirements analysis;
• Preliminary design;
• Detailed design;
• Fabrication;
• HWCI testing;
• System integration and testing.

A description of the activities to be performed is provided in section 5.

3.2 Hardware safety considerations.

For systems that perform critical and essential functions it may not be possible to demonstrate an acceptable low level of hardware errors without the use of specific design/test techniques.

3.3 Considerations for procured hardware.

Potential effects of user modification can be determined by the system safety assessment process. The following discusses options.

4. DETAILED REQUIREMENTS

4.1 System/hardware development life cycle.

This section defines the process(es) for the development, verification and validation of all hardware for the project.
The system/hardware development life cycle shall comprise of the following phases:

• System requirements analysis (hardware aspects only);
• Hardware requirements analysis;
• Preliminary design;
• Detailed design;
• Fabrication;
• HWCI testing
• System integration and testing (hardware aspects only)

Note: the system requirements analysis and the System Integration and testing phases are not specifically hardware development phases, however, there will be activities relating to hardware aspects during these phases.

Figure 1 illustrate the basic elements of the system/hardware development life cycle. It must be noted that the system/hardware development life cycle is an iterative or recursive process; feedback loops are not shown in the figure because their inclusion would make the diagram to complex. The system/hardware development life cycle may overlap rather than form a discrete termination/initiation sequence.

4.2 System requirements analysis.

Although this phase is not a hardware specific development phase it has been included to identify the hardware activities that need to be performed.
During this phase the system requirements will be analyzed and documented in a System/subsystem specification(s).
After successful completion of the formal Systems Requirements Review (SRR and SDR) the System/subsystem specifications will establish the 'Functional Baseline' for each pre-determined system or subsystem.
As it is not usually possible to define the hardware requirements of complex systems at the first attempt, it may be necessary to adopt an iterative approach to design. Hardware prototyping is recommended prior to the commencement of the full-scale development. All documentation prepared during the prototyping however shall be entered into the hardware library for future reference.
A 'Hardware Development Plan' for each HWCI should be prepared in accordance with the 'Documentation Standard'.
A system safety analysis shall be performed during this phase. This will assess the effect functional failures have on the systems or subsystems. Functions identified as having a high hazard severity will be subjected to a more detailed analysis. See 'Hardware Safety Aspects'.

4.3 Hardware requirements analysis.

• 4.3.1 Purpose.
• To define and analyze a complete set of functional, operational, performance, interface, quality factors, design, criticality and test requirements for each HWCI (Prime or Critical item).
  
  • 4.3.2 Activities.
  • Analysis of HWCI allocated requirement
  • Preparation of documents
  • Evaluation of analysis and documents prepared

4.4 Preliminary design.

• 4.4.1 Purpose.
• The purpose of the 'Preliminary Design' phase is to define the hardware characteristics of a HWCI. Formal and informal test planning will be prepared. The results of this phase shall define the top-level components of the HWCI from the 'Hardware Requirements Specification' and 'Interface Requirements Specification(s).
  
  • 4.4.2 Activities.

4.5 Detailed design.

• 4.5.1 Purpose.
• The purpose of the detailed design is to detail the modular structure, PECs, low-level requirements, and the control and protocol structure completely.
  
  • 4.5.2 Activities.

4.6 Fabrication.

• 4.6.1 Purpose.
• Build and testing of the individual hardware modules (Chassis, PECs, components, etc.,) in accordance with the standards and procedures defined in the 'Hardware Engineering Manual'.
  • 4.6.2 Activities.
• The developer shall implement the hardware design into model in accordance with the standards specified in the 'Hardware Engineering Manual'.
  The developer shall test components and modules using the principles and methods identified in the Hardware Engineering Manual. Test shall be performed according to the requirements contained in the 'Test Description' documents and according to the 'Hardware Test Plan'.
  A record of the unit testing shall be recorded in the Unit Test Report.
  Documents to be prepared:
  1. Drawings;
  2. Test Report(s)
  3. Hardware Test Procedure(s)
     
• Internal evaluation to be performed:
  

• 4.7 HWCI testing.
• 4.7.1 Purpose.

• The purpose of the HWCI testing phase is to check and or calibrate the HWCI prior to having the software installed. Testing with the CSCI may also be performed during this phase.
  • 4.8.2 Activities.
• Test teams shall perform the testing and provide 'Problem/change reports' in accordance with the 'Configuration Management Plan'.
  

• 4.9 System integration and testing.
  • 4.8.1 Purpose.
• The activities described in this paragraph apply mainly to the integration of hardware when being installed at a system level and is applicable only for the support of the hardware.
  The primary purpose of the phase is the Qualification (Verification and Validation) of a complete system and/or its comprising subsystems. The aim of this activity is to show conformance with the functional and/or system/subsystem performance requirements in a functional environment.
  • 4.8.2 Activities.
• System and subsystem integration will develop and prove all hardware of the sub-system or segment on a step-by-step basis. Each individual system shall be built up gradually by the integration of each functional section following its validation.
  
  

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  • Copyright © by Ken Rigby 1996, 1997, 1998