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 The Autoflight system on the A320 family is designed to reduce pilot workload, enhance
safety, and optimize performance. You should have a good understanding of the Autoflight
system and how to use it, so that you can operate the aircraft safely and efficiently.

This module is an introduction only. You will see the principles covered in more detail and
look at individual components of the system in later modules. Then you will study the use of
the system during a normal flight.

Let's begin by building up a basic conceptual idea of the Autoflight system.

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 AUTOFLIGHT SYSTEM

The Autoflight system can

be thought of as consisting
INPUT DEVICES of four main sections.
At the heart of the system
is a computation and
processing section, the
brain!
The central processing
section has access to several
information sources.
COMPUTATION The pilots have access to
INFORMATION the central processing
SOURCES & section via input devices.
PROCESSING Finally, after computation
and processing commands
are provided to output
devices.

OUTPUT DEVICES

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MENU
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 For the Autoflight system on the A320 family,
computation and processing is done by two Flight
Management Guidance Computers (FMGC).
The two FMGCs are identical and normally work together
so for training purposes we will group them as the FMGCs.

FMGC1 FMGC2

COMPUTATION
FMGCs
&
PROCESSING

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 The FMGCs receive :
•Navigation Information - which contains details of
airfields, navaids, airways, routes, waypoints, procedures
(SIDs, STARs, approachs, missed approachs), etc.
•Aircraft Performance information
•The Air Data and Inertial Reference system (ADIRS) and
the Global Positioning System (GPS) for position and
dynamic information,
•the Clock
•Radio Navigation information

Navigation information
Performance information
ADIRS & GPS
INFORMATION FMGCs
SOURCES
Clock

Navigation radios

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 MCDU 1 MCDU 2
Flight Control Unit

INPUT DEVICES

Navigation information
Performance information
ADIRS & GPS FMGCs
Clock

The pilots provide inputs to the FMGCs using:

•two Multipurpose Control and Display Units
(MCDU),
•a single Flight Control Unit (FCU).
Navigation radios

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 MCDU 1 MCDU 2
Flight Control Unit

The FMGCs provide

outputs to:
•the Flight Control
Navigation information computers for pitch, roll and
yaw control
Performance information •the Autothrust system - for
thrust control
ADIRS & GPS FMGCs •the EFIS system - for the
display of information
Clock •the Navigation Radios - for
the automatic tuning of radio
aids.

OUTPUT DEVICES
Navigation radios Flight Control
Autothrust
Computers

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 Flight Flight
Management Guidance

FMGCs

The FMGCs are divided into two

main parts;
•Flight Management,
•Flight Guidance,

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 The Flight Management part of the FMGCs controls the following functions:
•Navigation - The accurate position of the aircraft and the capability to automatically follow
the programmed flight plan
•Flight Planning - The flight plan computation
•Performance optimization - cost, speed and altitude optimization
•Predictions - the accurate estimates for waypoints, altitudes, speeds, fuel, and arrival times
•Display management - the control of information to the EFIS system to display autoflight
modes and navigation information

Flight
Management

Flight Performance Display

Navigation Predictions
Planning Optimization Management

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 The Flight Guidance part of the FMGCs provides;
•Commands to the flight control computers to control pitch, roll and
yaw through the autopilot
•Autothrust commands to automatically control thrust
•Flight Director commands to the pilot for for control of pitch, roll, and
yaw

Flight
Guidance

Flight Control Autothrust Flight Director

Computers Commands Commands

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 Information

FMGC1 FMGCs FMGC2

So far we have grouped the two FMGCs together for our basic system
description. Now let’s look at the actual layout.
As a general rule the two FMGCs have access to the same information sources
and exchange information.

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MCDU 1 MCDU 2

FMGC1 FMGC2

Each FMGC is linked to its own MCDU.

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MCDU 1 MCDU 2

CROSSTALK BUS
FMGC1 FMGC2

In addition, both FMGCs are linked together by a

CROSSTALK BUS.
In this way, information from either FMGC is immediately
shared with the other FMGC.

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MCDU 1 MCDU 2

Flight Control Unit

FMGC1 FMGC2

The inputs from the FCU are fed to both FMGCs.

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 MCDU 1 MCDU 2

Flight Control Unit

FMGC1 FMGC2

FD1 AP1 FD2

FMGC 1 provides information to Flight Director 1 and

Autopilot 1. It can also provide information to Flight
Director 2 in case of failure.

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 MCDU 1 MCDU 2

Flight Control Unit

FMGC1 FMGC2

FD1 AP2 FD2

FMGC 2 sends information to Flight Director 2 and

Autopilot 2. It can also send information to FMGC 1 and
Flight Director 1.

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 MCDU 1 MCDU 2

Flight Control Unit

FMGC1 FMGC2

FD1 AP1 Autothrust

Ch1 Ch2 AP2 FD2

Both FMGCs send commands to the Autothrust system. The Autothrust

system has two channels and depending on which FMGC is the master, the
associated Autothrust channnel will be used.
Now let ’s locate some of the most important components in the cockpit.

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MENU
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The Controls and indicators found in the cockpit are:
- 1 Flight Control Unit (FCU),

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 - 2 Flight Director pb located on the EFIS control panels
and the associated EFIS displays,

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- 2 Multipurpose Control and Display Units (MCDUs)

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- 2 thrust levers, mainly interfaced to A/THR.

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 The Controls and indicators found in the cockpit are:
- 1 Flight Control Unit or FCU
- 2 Flight Director pb located on the EFIS control panels
and the associated EFIS displays
- 2 Multipurpose Control and Display Units (MCDU)
- 2 thrust levers mainly interfaced to A/THR

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LIST
LIST OF
OF SUBJECTS

Autoflight System
FMGCs
Component Location

RETURN TO PROGRAM

EXIT PROGRAM

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