This
document describes the upgrade that make the Airbus Series aircrafts
compatible with the CockpitSonic ECAM CP hardware. This excellent hardware, fitted for cockpit builders and armchair pilots, will make your flight much more realistic. | ![]() |
SID/STAR Management | ||
Exhaustive management of the leg types | Almost
all the leg types are now handled, making the SID/STAR much more
realistic without having to enter them manually. The new leg types now covered are: Fix to Altitude, Course to Altitude, Heading to an Altitude, Course to a fix, Course to a DME distance, Course from a fix to a DME distance, Heading to next leg. | |
BEFORE (existing A320 PIC) |
AFTER (ECAM CP upgrade) |
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![]() Example: Toulouse, France (LFBO) | ![]() Runway 14R, SID LACO5A (AIRAC 0813) | |
![]() Example: Brest, France (LFRB) | ![]() Runway 25L, SID DIN4X (AIRAC 0813) | |
Improved filtering of the SID/STAR according to the selected runway | When a departure or arrival runway is selected, only the SID/STAR procedures that apply for the selected runway are displayed. Hiding the useless procedures reduces the list of the displayed SID/STAR, making the selection easier. | |
Implicit selection of the transition, when possible | When
the transitions have the name of the runway (which is often the case in
the Navigraph database for FeelThere aircrafts), the transition that
corresponds to the selected runway is automatically selected. | |
![]() | ![]() | |
No transition is selected and the SID is correctly selected (appears on the ND) | ||
Better management of the transition names | The transition names are managed in a better way so that double-displayed names do not appear any more. | |
MCDU /
FMGC | ||
Improved DIRECT TO operation | When
a DIR operation is
engaged, it appears in the temporary flight plan and must be validated. The aircraft trajectory is now properly drawn on the ND insrtead of a straight line. | |
BEFORE (existing A320 PIC) |
AFTER (ECAM CP upgrade) |
|
![]() | ![]() | |
Flight Plan EXPORT | A new MCDU command has been added to export the flight plan in the FS2004/FSX format, for the FS flight planner and GPS. This is useful if you want to use FS ATC (or FeelThere Map!) | |
FMGC Data Persistence | The AIRAC Cycle is always persisted, even when the flight plan is empty. This avoids the display of an error window upon startup because of an AIRAC cycle mismatch between the persistence and the database. | |
Flight Plan Edition | When a new waypoint is inserted on the F-PLN page (immediate waypoint insertion) at the place of a discontinuity, the discontinuity is shifted down and no discontinuity is added. | |
![]() There is a flight plan discontinuity between TOP and CAS | ![]() The VOG waypoint is added at line 3, the discontunuity is shifted down, now between VOG and CAS | |
Flight Plan Display | As the aircraft flies toward the next waypoint, the displayed distance to the next waypoint is updated in real time. | |
Holding Patterns | The management of holding patterns has been improved. The aircraft now flies the pattern trajectory almost perfectly, as shown on the pictures below (made with the FS2004 track recorder). | |
![]() Holding pattern without wind, some turns have been made... | ![]() ...without wind, more turns. The trajectory is still good. | ![]() With variable winds, the trajectory is not perfect, but still good. |
Approach | The managed speed now depends on the flap handle position instead of depending on the flaps position, like in the real aircraft. This makes the approach the approach smoother with less variation of engine power. | |
Navigation Display | The number of symbols displayed on the Navigation Display is now limited so that it is always readable (especially when visualizing intersections). | |
![]() Before... | ![]() ...After. | |
Pseudo-Waypoint Calculation | The pseudo-waypoints (Top of Climb, Top of Descent, Deceleration Point, ...) are now properly re-calcualted when the flight plan is changed. This is much better, especially when the arrival runway and STAR has to be changed. | |
SYSTEMS | ||
Electricity - Lights and EFIS | All the lights (landing,
taxi, beacon, strobes) are now properly
managed and can be switched on only if the appropriate electric source
is available. Same for the 6 EFIS screens (PFD, ND, E/WD and SD), available only if electric power is available. | |
Fly-by-Wire (auto-coordination) | The FBW system provides auto-coordination, but the rudder pedals are now active, even if auto-coordination is active. This allows you to "kick" the aircraft, very important with crosswind, like in the real aircraft. [FS2004 only] | |
Computed Speeds | The FACs (Flight Augmentation Computers) are in charge of computing the Green Dot, F and S speeds. Consequently, these speeds are not displayed on the PFD speed tape if both FACs are off. | |
Fuel Tank Management | Center tank fuel feeding is active only when the slats/flaps are not extended. During take off and landing, each engine must be fed by its own tank. In case of a problem in the fuel, both engines would not stop at the same time. | |
FADEC | Users of multi-throttle devices could control each thrust lever independantly, but the 2D pedestal display was wrong: both levers were moving when left lever was moved, and no lever was moving when the right lever was used. This is now fixed. | |
Radio | The radio master switch is now efficient and the radio stops when the switch is off. | |
Hydraulics - Yellow Electric Pump | The yellow electric pump now has its own sound, which is familiar to all the A320 passengers. | |
Landing Lights | A specific sound is heard when the landing lights are deployed. | |
OTHERS | ||
Cold & Dark | A key can be defined to engage a cold & dark situation (Shift-Ctrl-D by default). This is especially useful for the FSX users because the aircraft configuration menu is not available in FSX. | |
TCAS with IvAp/SB3 | The TCAS mode is now compliant with the IVAO/SquawkBox TCAS specifications, very useful for network flights. The AUTO mode is now implemented so that the TCAS is automatically set to C-mode when the aircraft leaves the ground, and set back to standby when the wheels touch the ground upon landing. | |
32-bits Rendering | The EFIS screens (PFD, ND, E/WD and SD) are now rendered in 32-bits instead of the standard 8-bits mode used by FS. Rendering is improved without any impact on the refresh rate. See the zoomed parts of the images below: | |
PFD in 8-bits | PFD in 32-bits | |
Front-Right view | Since the latest Service Pack was released, the EFIS screens were not updated when looking in the front-right direction. This is now fixed (FS2004 only) |