The System Display and STATUS Page

The SD (the centre lower screen) is the detailed display of the third detection phase, isolation — where the E/WD says "which system failed", the SD auto-calls that system's synoptic to show where it broke and what remains. It also carries a special STATUS page, the operational summary of the aircraft's technical state. This article covers how the SD decides which page to show (four modes), how to read the STATUS page, the permanent-data band at the bottom, and one complete ECAM sequence that ties the warning articles together.

1. Fifteen pages — 14 system pages + CRUISE + STATUS

Per FCOM DSC-31-20:

"The lower ECAM DU can display 14 system pages (for description see relevant FCOM chapter): ‐ ENGINE (Secondary engine parameters) ‐ BLEED (Air bleed) ‐ CAB PRESS (Cabin pressurization) ‐ ELEC AC (AC Electrical power) ‐ ELEC DC (DC Electrical power) ‐ HYD (Hydraulic) ‐ C/B (Circuit Breakers) ‐ APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) ‐ COND (Air conditioning) ‐ DOOR/OXY (Doors/oxygen) ‐ WHEEL (Landing Gear, Braking, ground spoilers, etc.) ‐ F/CTL (Flight Controls) ‐ FUEL (Fuel) ‐ CRUISE (Cruise)."

Count precisely: 14 system pages, of which CRUISE can only be shown automatically (in flight), plus the STATUS page managed directly by the FWS — 15 pages in the AMM's count. The ECP has 13 manual system-page keys (CRUISE cannot be manually called; STATUS has a dedicated STS key). Each page's content belongs to its source chapter — the SD is only their canvas. The SD DU also carries the cockpit-door-surveillance (CDSS) video where fitted.

2. Four page-selection modes and their priority

Which page the SD shows is decided by four competing modes, strictly prioritised. Per AMM 31-67-00:

"(e) Mode priorities. The priority between the different operational modes of the SD is as follows from the highest to the lowest priority: - Priority 1: manual mode - Priority 2: warning mode - Priority 3: ADV (advisory) mode - Priority 4: flight phase mode."

Memorise it: manual > warning > advisory > flight phase. In meaning:

• Flight-phase mode (lowest): with nothing else requested, the SD auto-shows the page for the current phase (WHEEL before takeoff, APU on APU start, ENGINE on engine start).
• Advisory mode: a drifting parameter displaces the phase page (§3).
• Warning mode: a failure shows the associated system page (over advisory and phase).
• Manual mode (highest): the page you select on the ECP overrides all automatics — but a failure-related display still displaces your manual page.

One trap: manual mode is highest priority, yet a new failure's automatic display still interrupts it. CRUISE has no manual mode (automatic only).

3. Advisory mode — not failed yet, but take a look

The advisory mode is the FWS's early-warning goodwill, worth its own note. Per AMM 31-67-00:

"An ADV (advisory) occurs when an aircraft system parameter is out of its normal range (but not at a warning level). When this occurs, the crew must examine the related system page on the SD, where the affected parameter is displayed and pulses in green. When there is an advisory, the related system page is automatically shown on the SD. A boxed ADV message is displayed and flashes in white in the center of the EWD..."

Advisory = "a parameter has drifted, not yet a caution, but look" — the parameter pulses green (not amber, since not yet failed), a white boxed ADV flashes in the centre of the E/WD. Pressing that page's ECP key acknowledges the advisory, and the SD no longer auto-calls the page for it for the rest of the flight. This is the line between "early warning" and "alert": advisory is green-pulse + ADV flash, only a caution is amber + MASTER CAUT.

4. The STATUS page — the operational summary of the aircraft state

The STATUS page is managed by the FWS (not the EIS), a summary table of the whole aircraft. Per FCOM DSC-31-20:

"The STATUS page provides an operational summary of the state of the aircraft. As illustrated in the following image, this operational summary includes all of the following: (1) Limitations (speed, flight level): Blue (2) Approach procedures: White (3) Procedures (corrections to apply for landing): Blue (4) Information: Green (5) Cancelled caution: White (6) Inoperative system: Amber (7) Maintenance status: White (8) The arrow appears if the data on the STATUS page overflows the left or right area of the page."

Zoning (AMM): the left 18 lines × 27 characters hold limitations / approach procedures / procedures / information / cancelled cautions; the right 18 lines × 14 characters hold inoperative systems + maintenance items. One important limit: class-2 maintenance statuses are not shown in flight (only on the ground), but sent to the CMC in real time and transmittable to ground via ACARS. Reading the STATUS page is the close of the ECAM drill — it lists the limitations, pending procedures and lost systems this failure has left (developed in the operation article).

5. Permanent data — the band that is always there

The SD's permanent-data window is present whatever page is shown, seven items (AMM 31-67):

Two traps: (1) UTC comes from the CMS, not the clock itself — if the cockpit clock fails while the CMC is powered, the permanent-data UTC shows the default 40H00 (the background to the MEL clock clause "SD permanent-data UTC must work"). (2) GWCG turns red on excess aft CG — the only permanent-data item that goes red.

6. XX vs amber dashes — data gone vs data inaccurate

Two drawings for a troubled parameter, not to be confused. Per AMM 31-67-00:

"Data that is not transmitted correctly by the source system is usually shown by amber XX on the related item. When the EIS detects a loss of accuracy in a numerical value (degraded mode), the related inaccurate value is usually shown with amber dashes on it."

XX = the data is entirely gone (the source did not transmit correctly); amber dashes = the data is present but inaccurate (accuracy degraded). One word apart: XX is "absent", dashes are "present but do not over-trust". Both appear across all system pages.

7. The ECAM sequence — one failure's full choreography

Tying the warning articles together, here is a typical failure (green hydraulic reservoir overheat) from trigger to close (FCOM DSC-31-25):

① Trigger: green hydraulic reservoir overheat (level-2 caution)
   → single chime (SC) + both MASTER CAUT amber on
   → overhead HYD panel FAULT light on (local warning)
   → E/WD lower part: failure title + action line "GREEN ENG 1+2 PUMPS ... OFF"
   → SD auto-calls the HYD page, amber "OVHT" beside the green system
   → the ECP CLR key lights
② Crew act: switch off green engine 1/2 pumps, depressurise
   → secondary line becomes "G SYS LO PR"; SD shows green pressure = 0 (amber);
     an F/CTL secondary failure appears in the right zone
③ Press CLR: E/WD hydraulic text clears, right zone shows the F/CTL secondary
   → SD auto-calls the F/CTL page, actuators on green shown amber
④ Press CLR again: CLR + STS lights on
   → E/WD memo area returns to normal; SD auto-shows the STATUS page
     (with the drill to complete the flight on the failed green system)
⑤ Press CLR a third time: CLR light off; E/WD shows the STS reminder at the bottom
   → SD auto-calls the flight-phase page (back to normal)

This choreography is the living skeleton of ECAM: at trigger, sound-light-text-synoptic arrive together → you act → each CLR turns past the primary, the secondary and the STATUS → back to normal. Each CLR advances the display one step (a lit CLR means there is still something to turn past). The handling discipline (STOP ECAM before reading STATUS, etc.) is in the operation article.

Self-test

[!note]- Q1. How many system pages are there, which is automatic-only, and how many pages total with STATUS? 14 system pages (CRUISE automatic-only), plus STATUS = 15. The ECP has 13 manual system-page keys.

[!note]- Q2. State the four SD mode priorities, and why manual is still interruptible. Manual > warning > advisory > flight phase. A new failure's automatic display still displaces the manual page.

[!note]- Q3. When does advisory mode occur, how is the parameter shown, and how is it distinguished from a caution? When a parameter drifts out of normal range but not to warning level; the parameter pulses green with a white boxed ADV flashing on the E/WD. A caution is amber + MASTER CAUT.

[!note]- Q4. Which permanent-data item comes from the CMS, what does it default to, and which item goes red? UTC comes from the CMS; it defaults to 40H00 if the clock fails with the CMC powered. GWCG goes red on excess aft CG.

[!note]- Q5. XX versus amber dashes? XX = data entirely gone (not transmitted); amber dashes = data present but accuracy degraded.

Key takeaways

References

• FCOM DSC-31-20 — 14 system pages, page logic, STATUS categories, permanent data.
• FCOM DSC-31-25 — ECAM sequence (hydraulic-overheat worked example).
• AMM 31-67-00 — 15 pages, four-mode priority, advisory mode, permanent-data sources, XX/dashes.
• AMM 31-51-00 — STATUS-page zoning, class-2 maintenance not shown in flight.

Independent study material, not an Airbus publication and not endorsed by the manufacturer. Always defer to the current operator FCOM, FCTM, and QRH for operational use.