Someone correct me, on the A330 you would get THR DES | DES | NAV | 1FD2 first and only later show THR IDLE | DES | NAV | 1FD2, once idle thrust is TRULY commanded.
@CM: I'd take a great reservation to your description that FADEC makes it's own mind against the instructions from A/THR, but not having the book at hand will just suggest you run, run, quick because I can throw it fast, precise and deadly
But yes, different connections among the stakeholders for the same result: Sometimes it's not the real idle.
@pinteam You need to have a bit of an eye for N1 to spot it, (*) Does not happen all the time, on many occasions you do get the full plain IDLE straight away. CaptMongo is pointing in the right direction.
If we are in Managed descent and below the profile, let's say the speed target is 280kt but because we are high the speed will go on the upper side of the bracket: The idle thrust will still remain the same or it will drop to the same idle as ''Open Descent Idle''?
Uh, come on, high or low you're asking?
What I remeber is that if you are above the profile and speeds starts to increase towards the upper magenta bracket, - provided this fake idle is active - nothing happens and IAS goes to target +20 easily, with thrust on. Only once the limit of managed range is hit, and vertical trajecotry control will yield to IAS control, the ATH/R calls for the proper idle. Nothing changes on the FMA at that moment, but you'll clearly see the N1 commad, blue inner, rings illuminate and once attained IDLE will appear on E/WD, flashing at first.
The A330 FMA makes it easily understandable.