Set up and use TCAS in the FlyByWire A380X for MSFS, read TA/RA alerts, display traffic, and fix TCAS STBY or missing targets.
To use TCAS in the FlyByWire A380X for Microsoft Flight Simulator, supply aircraft power, set the transponder to AUTO, select TA/RA on the ATC/TCAS panel, and make traffic visible on the navigation display. MSFS must also be feeding valid AI, live or multiplayer traffic to the aircraft.
FlyByWire A380X TCAS setup
Normal airborne setup is transponder AUTO, TCAS TA/RA and a visible traffic layer on the navigation display.
- Power and initialise the aircraft. Complete the normal cockpit power-up and wait for the flight displays to become available. An unpowered or incompletely initialised display can make TCAS appear inoperative.
- Enable a traffic source in MSFS. Use AI, live or visible multiplayer traffic; the relevant settings are arranged differently in MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024. TCAS does not generate aircraft by itself.
- Set the transponder. On the centre-pedestal ATC/TCAS controls, enter the squawk code assigned by ATC and move the transponder from STBY to AUTO. AUTO is the normal choice because it uses the aircraft's air/ground logic.
- Select TA/RA. Move the TCAS mode selector to TA/RA for normal flight. Ground logic and low-altitude inhibitions can prevent resolution advisories while parked, during take-off or close to landing.
- Choose the traffic display. Select ALL or the normal traffic filter rather than a threat-only filter when testing. Use the SURV or traffic overlay control if it is exposed by your installed A380X build, and select a useful ND range such as a terminal-area range rather than a very wide cruise view.
- Check it after becoming airborne. Nearby aircraft with valid position and pressure-altitude data should appear on the ND. The weather-radar controls do not activate TCAS; the two systems merely share the navigation display.
Which TCAS mode should I choose?
Use TA/RA for normal airborne operation; TA is a restricted mode, while STBY disables traffic advisories.
| Mode | What it does | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| STBY | No traffic or resolution advisories are generated. | During initial power-up or when required on the ground. |
| TA | Displays traffic and issues traffic advisories, but no vertical avoidance command. | Only when RA operation is unsuitable or deliberately inhibited. |
| TA/RA | Provides both traffic advisories and resolution advisories. | Normal flight. |
Altitude filters such as ALL, above and below change which routine targets are drawn; they do not turn TCAS collision logic into a different operating mode.
What do the A380X TCAS symbols mean?
The symbol's shape and colour show the threat level, while its number and arrow describe relative altitude and vertical movement.
| ND symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Hollow white diamond | Other traffic that is not considered close. |
| Solid white diamond | Proximate traffic close enough to monitor. |
| Amber circle | Traffic advisory: locate and monitor the intruder. |
| Red square | Resolution advisory: follow the vertical guidance on the PFD. |
A label such as +02 means the aircraft is approximately 200 feet above; -10 means about 1,000 feet below. A trend arrow indicates that the target is climbing or descending. Our simulator-wide explanation of TCAS symbols and advisory logic covers the display conventions in more detail.
What should I do during a TA or RA?
A traffic advisory is a warning to monitor the conflict; a resolution advisory requires the vertical response shown on the primary flight display.
- During a TA: check the ND and outside view, but do not make an abrupt manoeuvre solely from the traffic symbol.
- During an RA: follow the green vertical guidance and keep the aircraft out of the red prohibited area. Do not turn towards or away from the target unless another instruction requires it; TCAS resolution is primarily vertical.
- Watch for revised guidance: an RA can strengthen, weaken or reverse as the geometry changes.
- After “clear of conflict”: return smoothly to the appropriate cleared or planned altitude.
The A380's AP/FD TCAS logic is designed to provide automatic vertical guidance. If TCAS is annunciated on the flight mode display with the autopilot engaged, let the system command the response. If the installed A380X build presents conventional RA guidance without coupling it to the autopilot, disconnect the autopilot and hand-fly that guidance instead.
Why does A380X TCAS show STBY or no traffic?
TCAS STBY or a blank traffic display usually results from ground logic, an inactive selector, display filtering or the absence of usable simulator traffic.
- Check both selectors. The transponder can be active while the separate TCAS selector remains in STBY. Use AUTO and TA/RA respectively.
- Allow for ground inhibition. AUTO may keep parts of the system suppressed while parked, and RAs are intentionally inhibited close to the ground. Test again once safely airborne.
- Reduce the ND range and select ALL traffic. A threat-only or altitude-biased filter can make a functioning system look empty.
- Confirm MSFS is producing traffic. Static airport models, ground-service vehicles and aircraft lacking valid altitude data are not TCAS targets. Some visually displayed multiplayer aircraft may also be unavailable to the aircraft systems.
- Use one traffic source while diagnosing. Competing traffic injectors can create duplicate, intermittent or malformed targets.
- Do not install SimBridge just for TCAS. Native A380X TCAS receives its targets from the simulator; SimBridge is not its traffic source.
- Rule out a damaged or duplicate aircraft installation. Remove duplicate A380X packages and follow our clean A380X installation procedure. If several cockpit systems are dead rather than TCAS alone, use the system-wide A380X troubleshooting checks.