ACR FLC COMPLAINS OF ATC ARR PROC WHEN XING RESTRICTIONS ARE AMENDED TO ALTS AND XING POINTS OTHER THAN DISPLAYED ON THE STAR CHARTS; RESULTING IN TASK INDUCED REPROGRAMMING DELAYS AND POSSIBLE MISPROGRAMMING. ALTDEV ALT UNDERSHOT.

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ON THE THIRD DAY OF A 4 DAY TRIP; WE DEPARTED SFO FOR IND 1 1/2 HRS LATE BECAUSE OF AN ACFT CHANGE (MECHANICAL). AFTER AN ATC HOLD IN IND WE TOOK OFF 2 1/2 HRS LATE FOR NEWARK. ENRTE WE WERE RERTED BECAUSE OF WX S TO RICHMOND; VA; DIRECT PXT; WARRD 3 ARR EWR. WE PROGRAMMED OUR NAV SYS FOR THE WARRD 3; INCLUDING THE EXPECTED XING ALTS. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE ARR AND THEN TO CROSS 20 MI SW OF ENO AT AND MAINTAIN FL240. USING THE FIX PAGE I CREATED THE UNCHARTED FIX; INSERTED IT ON THE LEGS PAGE PRIOR TO ENO; THEN ENTERED THE XING ALT OF FL240. AFTER THE COMPUTER CALCULATED THE DSCNT INFO; I SELECTED CAPTURE ON THE DSCNT PAGE AND BEGAN A 1000 FPM DSCNT. GREAT! BUT IN DOUBLECHKING MY ACTIONS; I DISCOVERED THAT THE XING FIX SHOULD HAVE BEEN PLACED PRIOR TO 'CANNY' BECAUSE CANNY IS ONLY 13 MI SW OF ENO. I THEN SLUGGISHLY (FATIGUE) RESELECTED THE XING FIX FROM THE FIX PAGE AND INSERTED IT BEFORE CANNY; AND DELETED IT AFTER CANNY. VERY SOON AFTER COMPLETING THIS REPROGRAMMING; CANNY JUMPED TO THE TOP OF THE LEGS PAGE; INDICATING THAT WE HAD CROSSED THE UNCHARTED FIX. SIMULTANEOUSLY; ATC CLRED US TO CONTINUE DSCNT TO FL190. THE CTLR MADE NO OTHER COMMENTS; ALTHOUGH WE NOTED XING THE 20 MI FIX DSNDING THROUGH FL270 INSTEAD OF 240. REMAINDER OF THE ARR AND ILS 22L AT EWR WAS ROUTINE. OBVIOUSLY MY LACK OF EXPERIENCE ON THE ADVANCED COCKPIT MLG; FATIGUE; AND LACK OF A MEAL IN OVER 9 HRS WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS; BUT I BELIEVE THE REAL PROBLEM IS ATC'S LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE TIME IT TAKES TO REPROGRAM OUR NAV SYS. IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL IF THEY WOULD CLR US VIA THE EXPECTED FIXES AND ALTS ON DEPS AND ARRS (THIS IS DONE MUCH MORE CONSISTENTLY ON THE W COAST THAN IN THE E). IF THE CHARTED ARRS DON'T WORK; CHANGE THE SID/STAR CHARTS. IT IF IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO CHANGE A XING FIX; TRY TO MAKE IT A FIX ON THE ARR (LIKE 'CANNY') RATHER THAN AN UNCHARTED FIX; SO ONLY THE ALT NEEDS TO BE PROGRAMMED; AND IF AN UNCHARTED FIX MUST BE USED; REF IT TO THE NEXT FIX ON THE ARR; NOT THE VOR. MANY OF MY FELLOW ADVANCED COCKPIT MLG PLTS TELL ME THEY DON'T USE THE MAGIC BOX DURING DSCNT -- I'M BEGINNING TO SEE WHY -- BUT WHAT A WASTE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 189585: IT WAS ABOUT 0X50 IN THE MORNING AND WE WERE BOTH TIRED. THIS WAS THE THIRD DAY OF A 4 DAY TRIP.