Keep pressure and flow up. Volume is optional. Loops if you have the screen space. The T1 will lie to you in numbers before it lies in the trace.
AutoPEEP
Expiratory flow never returns to zero before the next breath. The lung is not empty. Cut rate, shorten Ti, treat obstruction.
Obstruction
Scooped expiratory flow, long tail, high Rinsp, not-terrible Cstat. This is asthma/COPD/kinked tube — not ARDS.
Stiff lung
Square-ish pressure, small VT for the Pinsp, low Cstat, short time constant. Protective VT, moderate PEEP, don't stack.
Overdistension
P-V loop beak. Driving pressure climbing while VTE is already 8 mL/kg. You are done recruiting. Stop.
Leak / disconnect
Inspiratory flow doesn't match expiratory. VTE << VTI. Volume loop does not close.
Asynchrony
Negative pressure scoops, double-stacking, flow starving. Fix drive, Ti, ETS, or the mode — not the alarm limit.