A320 Guidance Modes
 

MSN XX
Two types of autopilot and flight director modes are available to guide the aircraft:

• Managed modes, which steer the aircraft along the lateral, vertical, and speed profiles according to the data the pilot inserts into the MCDU. Flight Management (in the Flight Management and Guidance Computer) computes the corresponding guidance targets.
• Selected modes, which steer the aircraft according to target values that the pilot selects and the FCU windows display

MSN YY
Two types of autopilot and flight director modes are available to guide the aircraft:

• Managed modes: When the aircraft is using managed targets, the Flight Management and Guidance System (FMGS) guides it along lateral and vertical flight paths and speed profiles computed by the Flight Management function (FM) from data in the MCDU. FM manages the guidance targets.
• Selected modes: When the flight crew is using selected targets, the FMGS guides the aircraft along lateral and vertical flight paths and speed profiles to meet targets that the flight crew has selected manually on the FCU. The flight crew selects the guidance targets

Can any one please explain the difference between the guidance modes. How are they different from the pilots perspective? Also if possible from the systems side.

Two different descriptions of the same thing. Its possible there will be small differences in the individual guidance modes (i.e. CLB / DES etc ), but you have just quoted a very broad description of Managed vs Selected.

On the face of it, the second description is a little more detailed - possibly after the lawyers had a look at it, and/or to provide a deeper explanation for how the Airbus FBW is guided. (Some pilots like to pretend that they don't understand how it works.)


No significant difference when flying it that I can think of.

Guidance modes are many like SRS, CLB/OP CLB CRUISE, DESCENT, APP, GA etc. You will have to read FCOM in detail. But broadly except takeoff the aircraft is programmed and can be flown through the MCDU in Managed guidance. Except climb, descent must be pilot initiated. Whenever different profile is asked by ATC it's executed through the FCU in selected mode.