What is the Airbus A320 ECAM and how do you use it?

The Airbus A320 ECAM—Electronic Centralized Aircraft Monitor—is the aircraft’s central system-monitoring, warning and procedure-display system. Its upper display shows engine data, memos and prioritised alerts; its lower display shows system synoptics and status. Pilots monitor it during normal flight, select detail pages when needed, and work abnormal messages in order.

For our Aviation & Real-World Flying readers, the key distinction is that ECAM is a system, not simply a pair of screens. It monitors aircraft systems, decides which information has priority and controls automatic page changes. It is separate from the MCDU used for flight-plan and performance entry; our explanation of the main A320 cockpit displays and controls shows how ECAM fits alongside the PFD, ND, FCU and MCDU.

What does the A320 ECAM include?

The A320 ECAM normally uses two centre display units and the ECAM control panel below them. Simmers often call these the upper and lower ECAM, although their formal functions are the Engine/Warning Display and System Display.

The normal arrangement can change after a display failure. Depending on the aircraft standard and simulation depth, ECAM information may be transferred or automatically reconfigured onto a remaining display.

How do you use the Airbus A320 ECAM during a normal flight?

During normal operation, ECAM is mainly a monitoring and confirmation tool; the aircraft automatically presents many of the pages you need. A common beginner mistake is cycling through every system page continuously instead of checking the page required by the present cockpit flow.

1. Establish electrical power and set brightness. With the aircraft powered, confirm that both displays initialise and are readable. A dark display on a cold-and-dark aircraft usually indicates missing electrical power, a brightness control turned down or a simulated display failure.
2. Check the required system pages. Before departure, use pages such as DOOR, FUEL, F/CTL or the page specified by the aircraft’s procedure. ECAM supports the flow; it does not replace it.
3. Watch automatic page changes. The SD may show the APU during APU operation, engine information during start, wheel or flight-control information around relevant phases, and a combined cruise page in flight. These changes are expected behaviour.
4. Use TO CONFIG before take-off. At the point specified by the procedure, press TO CONFIG. This simulates take-off power being applied and checks monitored configuration items such as flap or slat position, speed-brake state and trim. A normal indication confirms only the items ECAM can monitor; it does not prove that every departure item is complete.
5. Scan the E/WD throughout the flight. Include engine values, memo lines and alert areas in the instrument scan without fixating on the display. On approach, confirm that the displayed configuration and landing memos agree with the intended aircraft state.
6. Select a system page only when useful. Press the appropriate ECP key to inspect a system. On the standard panel, pressing the illuminated key again releases that manual selection and returns the SD to automatic page logic.

Our complete A320 flight sequence for Microsoft Flight Simulator places these checks in context from power-up through landing.

What should you do when ECAM shows a warning or caution?

When a failure is detected, ECAM prioritises the message, presents the relevant system page and may show actions to complete. Red warnings have higher urgency than amber cautions, but flight-path control still comes first.

1. Control the aircraft. Stabilise the flight path before becoming absorbed in the centre displays. In real two-pilot operation, the pilot flying maintains control while the pilot monitoring normally reads and handles ECAM according to the operator’s procedure.
2. Identify and acknowledge the alert. Read the complete warning or caution title and acknowledge the associated master warning or master caution as required. Do not diagnose the problem from the colour alone.
3. Read actions in order. Work from the top line down and confirm the result of each action. ECAM can remove or change some lines when it senses that the required state has been achieved, but not every action is electronically detectable.
4. Use CLR only after completing the displayed actions. CLR advances to the next alert or stage; it does not repair or erase the underlying fault. Clearing too early is one of the most frequent ECAM mistakes in simulation.
5. Review STATUS. If the E/WD shows an STS reminder, select the status page and review inoperative systems, limitations and other consequences before continuing or planning the approach.
6. Recall information if necessary. On aircraft and add-ons that model it, RCL recalls warning or caution messages that have been cleared or cancelled.

Some lower-priority messages are inhibited during critical take-off and landing phases to avoid distraction, then appear after the inhibit ends. That delay is not necessarily a simulator fault. Real crews must use their approved procedures, QRH and training because ECAM does not detect every failure or contain every follow-up action.

What do the ECAM colours mean?

ECAM uses colour to separate urgency, normal indications and required actions. Colour is a reading aid rather than a substitute for the full message.

Exact wording, layout and alert logic can differ across A320-family standards and simulator aircraft. Do not assume that every add-on reproduces the certified aircraft’s complete failure logic.

Why is the ECAM dark or not responding in the simulator?

Most simulated ECAM problems are caused by aircraft power, display settings, automatic page logic or limited add-on modelling rather than incorrect operation.

• Both screens are dark: confirm that the aircraft has a valid electrical source and that the ECAM brightness controls are not turned down. A saved cold-and-dark panel state can also preserve dimmed displays.
• Only one screen works: check for an active display failure or an accidentally changed display-transfer control. A detailed aircraft may reconfigure information onto another display.
• Page buttons do nothing: operate the physical ECAM control panel rather than treating the display as a touchscreen. Some aircraft use custom-coded controls that generic simulator key bindings cannot trigger reliably.
• The selected page changes by itself: an alert or flight-phase page can take priority over a manual selection. This is a core ECAM function, not random behaviour.
• No abnormal procedure appears: simpler aircraft may reproduce the graphics and normal pages but omit detailed failures, action lines, status logic or message priorities.
• The indications are inconsistent after loading a flight: some simulated aircraft do not reconstruct every system cleanly after loading mid-flight, switching aircraft, slewing or teleporting. Reload the aircraft in a known ground state and repeat the normal power-up sequence.

Does ECAM replace the A320 checklist?

No. ECAM monitors systems and assists with abnormal conditions, while normal checklists verify critical configuration items that may not be sensed electronically.

Use cockpit flows to configure the aircraft, the checklist to verify the flow, and ECAM to confirm that the resulting system state is correct. Our A320 normal checklist and flow guide explains that division across each phase of flight. For real-world operation, approved airline procedures and aircraft documentation always take precedence over simulator guidance.