DOORS, ESCAPE SLIDES AND CABIN-INFORMATION CHAINS
Door status is produced by mechanisms and sensed states, not by the completion of an animation alone. The A320 reference passenger doors are plug-type installations with normal operation, emergency-assist and slide arrangements. A closed condition, a latched/locked condition, an armed slide and cabin-readiness completion have different meanings. Cargo and access doors have their own operating and sensing arrangements. A cockpit indication should therefore be related to the particular door and state being reported, rather than collapsed into a single doors-done conclusion. [80, PDF pp. 2–8] [53, CIDS/FAP chapters; door-signal paths]
Slide arming connects the escape equipment to its required emergency-use configuration; it is separate from shutting the door. The aircraft family also has different exit arrangements. The A319 option can have one or two overwing-exit pairs, while the A321’s cabin-exit geometry differs from the A320. Identify the actual exit/cabin standard before interpreting a door drawing or crew action. The optional second exit in a manufacturer side profile is an explicitly identified drawing option, not proof that every simulated A319 has it. [80, PDF pp. 3–8] [52, Cabin/exit option inventory] [55, PDF p. 42]
CIDS and the FAP collect and present cabin information and support cabin controls; the Virtual Purser adds a configured simulated crew workflow. These are related functions with different boundaries. A request to perform a cabin task begins work, while the actual reported door/slide states and cabin completion establish its result. Cabin Ready can have different displayed forms and a separately configured call. Reopening a door or renewing a service changes the current state even if an earlier readiness announcement was correct. [53, CIDS and Flight Attendant Panel chapters] [81, Virtual Purser; VP Behaviour; Cabin Doors; Cockpit Cabin Call]
Emergency access, exit use and evacuation authority remain distinct from normal boarding and turnaround. A source diagram of a door or emergency control identifies equipment, not a command to operate it during routine preparation. For V3 interface testing, preserve the platform/build: the24–25 October 2026 issue snapshot lists FAP interaction in FS2020 and answering Cabin Ready via the cockpit intercom as separate investigations. An unavailable interaction should not be converted into an invented workaround or a declaration that the physical door state is satisfactory. [80, PDF pp. 6–8] [83, 24 October 2026, edited25 October; FAP/intercom issues]
Original Fenix V3 FAP Cabin Status page: doors/slides, temperature, water/waste and the Cabin Ready button. Read the actual state rather than inferring that every item is ready. [82, Source illustration]