This tutorial is outdated and has been superseded – please refer to this tutorial instead.

You no longer need expensive hardware solutions to perform intercom functions in your flight deck. FMGS includes an Intercom application which allows you to interface your headsets and speakers with your online Vatsim or IVAO client and an Audio Control Panel (ACP) – either using the supplied virtual software panel, or configured to your specific hardware.

This tutorial will teach you how to setup your Intercom application to receive radio.

Setting up is not a complex affair, however it does require 3rd party software: Virtual Audio Cable (VAC). This software allows you to have a virtual audio line which the Intercom application can utilize.

After you have downloaded and installed VAC, run the program control panel (with full administrative privileges) and ensure 1 cable is set.

Virtual Audio Cable Control Panel

Open up your Vatsim or IVAO client and direct the radio output to the virtual cable. For my setup I am using vPilot:

vPilot (Vatsim Client) Audio Settings

Next, open up the Intercom application (A320FMGS\Sound folder) with administrative rights.

Configure External Radio in to use the virtual audio cable. This is Line 1 in our setup.  Set the the CPT Head Set Phone to output to your headphones, and the Captain Main Speaker to output to the Captain side audio output side speaker. You can also setup the First Officer Side with the corresponding headset and speaker output.

FMGS Intercom Application

Click save configuration. You must keep the Intercom application open to perform intercom functionality. You can prioritize application performance by entering a number between 0-10 in the Performance box.

If you have hardware you would like to configure, you can use the FMGS_Configure.exe application to setup your hardware. Under the ACP potentiometers dialogue box you can setup the axis (minimum and maximum) values of the pots configured for audio control. You can also setup the Captain and First Officer speaker volume control in this dialogue box.

ACP Potentiometer Hardware Setup

If you don’t have hardware, you can use the ACP software panel found in A320FMGS\SoftwarePanels. Use ACP1 to open the captain side ACP.

When FMGS is connected and you are also connected to Vatsim/IVAO you can simulate ACP functionality accurately.  For example, if your Radio Management Panel (RMP) is tuned to an active controller you can listen to VH1 (radio in audio) by selecting the VHF1 knob (left click), or mute it by deselecting (left click again). Use the mouse scroll wheel to adjust the volume.  You can listen to the FMGS tuned VOR, MKR,  ILS, MLS or ADF by clicking on the appropriate knob, and again adjusting the volumes individually. Intercom will mix the audio and present it to your headset, or to to the speaker output.

Don’t forget to disable OuterMarker, MiddleMarker, and InnerMarker sounds in the Sound program or you will have redundant tones.

Sound Program

In the next tutorial we will look at our to setup the transmit radio function with the Intercom application and Vatsim/IVAO.

Intercom application setup to output radio audio to the Captain and First Officer speaker output, and headset: