Developer Guide - How To Integrate Airbus ECAM With Self-Loading Cargo

If you are an aircraft developer, you can now integrate the state of the Self-Loading Cargo cabin directly into your ECAM in the cockpit - here's how.

As of version v1.6.6.0 (released Sept 9th 2025), Self-Loading Cargo exposes various properties to the simulator which can be used by aircraft developers to provide direct integration with their systems. One of these properties relates to the CABIN READY message on the cockpit ECAM. This document explains how to perform the integration with your aircraft.

Cabin Ready ECAM functionality

Airbus aircraft can display a "CABIN READY" message on the ECAM whenever the cabin crew have:

• checked all passengers are seated ready for takeoff
• checked all passengers are seated ready for landing

Note: even if your aircraft does not have an ECAM you can take advantage of this functionality by using the variables and displaying whatever information your aircraft would show in its own way.

MSFS 2020/2024 Integration

Available LVARs

• L:SLC_AVAILABLE - Used to check if Self-Loading Cargo is available so that the logic can be used. (0 - Not available, 1 - Available)
• L:SLC_CABIN_READY - Used to check if Self-Loading Cargo Cabin is ready. (0 - Not Ready, 1 - Ready)

Logic Flow

At such a time the CABIN READY message would display on the ECAM the developer should check the value of L:SLC_AVAILABLE.

• If the value of L:SLC_AVAILABLE is 0 or the LVAR does not exist Self-Loading Cargo is not in use and basic airframe logic should apply (i.e. random timing for the message to show).
• If the value of L:SLC_AVAILABLE is 1, Self-Loading Cargo is in use and the value of L:SLC_CABIN_READY can be used to determine if the cabin is ready or not.
• If the value of L:SLC_CABIN_READY is 0, Self-Loading Cargo cabin crew has not yet finished securing the cabin and you should not show "CABIN READY" on the ECAM
• If the value of L:SLC_CABIN_READY is 1, Self-Loading Cargo cabin crew has finished securing the cabin and you should show "CABIN READY" on the ECAM.

Pseudocode

Here's a basic representation of what your code should look like when determining whether or not the ECAM message should show on your aircraft based on both a user preference (perhaps selectable from your EFB?) and the status of Self-Loading Cargo:

if (MyAircraft.UserOptions.UseSLCECAM && L:SLC_AVAILABLE == 1) {
    // User wants to use SLC ECAM integration
    // AND SLC is available
    // ----------------------------------------------------------
    if (L:SLC_CABIN_READY == 1) {
        // Cabin is ready
        ECAM.Items.Add("CABIN READY"); // << use your own methods for adding the ECAM message in place of this line.
    } else {
        // Cabin is not ready, no need to do anything.
    }
} else {
    // User does not want to use SLC ECAM integration 
    // OR Self-Loading Cargo is not available
    // -----------------------------------------------------------
    // Your normal ECAM functionality for the aircraft goes here.
}

After Takeoff and After Landing

• The value of L:SLC_CABIN_READY will be reset to 0 after the aircraft has taken off
• The value of L:SLC_CABIN_READY will be reset to 0 after the aircraft has landed.

X-Plane

Not supported yet but development is in progress and this document will be updated in due course.