Quick Start Guide - Data Transfer Cartridge (DTC)

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Quick Start Guide - Data Transfer Cartridge (DTC)

In this initial release, the DTC will enable you to create custom countermeasure programs and Comms presets for the DCS: F/A-18C and DCS: F-16C. In future updates, this will be expanded to include more mission planning data like navigation waypoints, targets, threats, datalinks, route points, weapon settings, and more. The functionality will also be extended to other aircraft such as DCS: AH-64D and DCS: A-10C II Tank Killer.

Functionality on launch will allow you to create custom DTC cartridges for entire flights, or individual aircraft within the flight. The mission creator can allocate one or more of these cartridges to each aircraft, allowing the player to select at DTC most appropriate for the mission. Once created, the DTC can also be exported as a .dtc file, allowing you to create a personal collection that can be used in any mission you fly in either single player or multiplayer. 

Existing missions will not be impacted by the addition of DTC, as if there is no DTC assigned to the aircraft, the mission editor defaults will still apply. 

DTC files may be created and managed using the new DTC Manager in the mission editor, found in the EDIT menu, or from a DTC interface from within the simulation itself (discussed later in this document). 

When creating a DTC in the mission editor for the first time, select New from the File menu in the DTC Manager. From the File menu, you will also have the ability to Save, Delete, Import, Export, Rename, and return to Defaults.

You will then see a pop-up window. Here you select the aircraft type you wish to create a DTC for and create a custom name for the cartridge. This name will be displayed in the DTC Load pages of the aircraft, and there may be limited space, so a shorter name is preferred. 

After clicking OK, the DTC file will be created. You will then be able to customize the settings.

The DTC files are split into “Partitions”, and each partition contains different data types. These partitions may be individually uploaded from the DTC within the cockpit DTC Load pages. The partitions available on release are Threat Tables/Countermeasures (CMDS) and Communications (COMM), meaning that one or both of these partitions may be uploaded from the DTC within the cockpit by the player as they choose. As each DTC version will be unique for the corresponding aircraft, the DTC partitions (and the options within them) that are provided in the future will be notably different between aircraft types.

Each partition is then subdivided by a series of tabs for each data type. For now, most of them are grayed-out (non-operational) until we finalize the general DTC design.

Editing CMDS Settings and Threat Tables

Each CMDS program may be edited to include Manual programs, Automatic programs, and Bypass programs. A delay may also be set between Automatic programs so that the avionics will wait before dispensing another program when the CMDS is set to AUTOMATIC mode.

Each threat may be configured to trigger a specific CMDS program and the threshold at which that CMDS program is automatically dispensed. For example: if an SA-6 radar is detected by the RWR, the CMDS may be programmed to dispense CMDS program “AUTO 1” when the SA-6 radar is detected in TRACK mode, or it may programmed to dispense CMDS program “AUTO 3” when the SA-6 radar is detected in LAUNCH mode. This allows the mission creator to customize the defensive systems more thoroughly for what threats are expected to be encountered or how the player plans to defend themselves during the mission. You may wish to have unique DTCs based on the threat environment of a mission.

The buttons along the top of the table allow each category of threats to be shown or hidden within the table itself to facilitate easier programming.

Once you have completed your edits, use the File menu in the DTC editor to save the changes.
Saving the DTC file saves it within the DCS mission (.miz) file, and it can then be applied to aircraft. Also in the File menu, you can Import and Export DTC files. This allows the possibility to create a DTC file and distribute amongst other players, and also to create a personal DTC for use in any mission you fly. 

To add a DTC to an aircraft, or aircraft group, select the Load menu, and then Load To Group in the DTC manager. A DTC file can only be loaded to Player or Client aircraft. They are not required for AI aircraft. 

All Aircraft of the correct type will be shown in the Load to group popup, and any saved DTC can be applied to individual aircraft, or a group. 

Once added, the DTC assigned to the aircraft is shown in the List DTC window. Multiple DTC files can be assigned to each aircraft, and there is a tick box to select the default - this will be the cartridge that is loaded into the cockpit at mission start.

A DTC program can also be removed from the list by clicking Remove.

If DTC are already saved within the mission, they can also be managed from the new “DTC” tab in the Airplane Group properties window on the right of the screen. This tab includes an option that permits the mission creator to enable the default DTC to be “pre-loaded” at mission start, which is particularly important for Air starts or Runway starts, but may also be used for Cold starts to represent an aircraft that has been pre-configured by crews for a rapid start-up and departure, such as quick response alert.

This tab is only shown for Player or Client aircraft.

DTC Management Prior to Flying a Mission

There are two ways to manage DTC programs before flying a mission. For air or ground start aircraft, the DTC Manager can be accessed from the bottom-right of the briefing screen. For airstart aircraft, this is the only time you can select or edit a DTC whilst in the air.

When on the ground at a friendly airbase, you are able to access the DTC Manager using the ground crew section of the communications menu. It is also possible to assign a keybind to show/hide DTC Interface, the default is RCTRL + RSHIFT + K

Upon opening the DTC Manager in sim, you are able to Import and Export DTC files using the File menu at the top right of the interface.

Importing a DTC allows you to import custom DTC settings into any mission. 

DTC files that have been assigned to your aircraft within the mission will be selectable from the Available Mission Files drop down menu.

Select the DTC that you want to load into the aircraft from this list, and press the Load button.

You also have the ability to edit the DTC at this point -  simply edit the fields in the DTC partition as required. There is no need to save. However, you can then export this file if you wish to save for future missions.

DTC Uploading from Within the Cockpit

Each aircraft will have a realistic and unique procedure to load DTC data from within the cockpit. For the F/A-18C the procedure is as follows:

On the SUPT main menu level, select MUMI using PB10.

Once on the MUMI page, you will see the name of the DTC that is present within the DTC receptacle (which you have selected) displayed in the top centre of the page, and the different partitions of the DTC selectable with the push buttons displayed around the left, right and bottom of the display.  On initial release, only COMM and ALR-67 are functional. More will be added in future updates.

Selecting the COMM or ALR-67 PB will load the partition from the DTC. You can load any combination of partitions depending on your needs. There will be a delay of a few seconds before the selected partition is “boxed” whilst the data loads.

For the F-16C, the procedure is as follows:

Select the DTE format using OSB 8 on the top level MFD format menu.

You will then be presented with the DTE page.

In the centre is the name of the DTC that is present within the DTC receptacle.

Selecting the “Load” option will load all available partitions. Alternatively, you can load individual partitions by selecting the appropriate option. On initial release, only MPD (Mission Planning Data) containing CMDS programs and COMM are functional. More will be added in future updates.

Once loaded, the partition will be highlighted with white to signify it has loaded. 

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