The value input into the Selected Altitude window on the MCP is already being communicated to ATC and used by controllers. Hence my query to see if there was a standard procedure regarding the value to be input when flying SIDs with step climbs. My concern is that unless there is a standard procedure to input the step climb values, as we introduce extended SIDs we shall start to see more occasions when the SFL doesn't reflect the altitude / level that the aircraft is actually climbing to, i.e. the step climb altitude / level. If we start to see these discrepancies, controllers will start to lose confidence in the SFL and may stop to use it, resulting in the safety benefits potentially being lost.
So, is there a "preference" among ATC controllers? What do they prefer to see, and why?
If there is no consensus, it is unfair to place the onus of "confidence building" on the operator and/or individual Pilot who may not even be aware his MCP is being monitored by "big brother," or what the controller "expects" to see.
After all, there are only 2 basic choices: select the "cleared to" altitude or select the next restriction. In the latter case, the controller should see a change as the airplane approaches the intervening fix. In the former case, the controller should have an "eye" for the climb rate and the speed at which the airplane is approaching the fix before he tries to use this new tool as a screening tool for perceived "cleared vs selected" discrepancies.
Is there any guidance on the controllers' use of Mode S input? If so, where can we pilots find it?