SYNC® System

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2012 Ford Pickup. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

The SYNC® system allows interaction with several types of customer devices, including mobile phones and media devices. The system consists of the APIM, a microphone, the USB cable and port, and the audio input jack. The APIM contains an on-board Bluetooth chipset, which enables certain wireless devices to interact with the system.

The APIM consists of the Consumer Interface Processor (CIP) and the Vehicle Interface Processor (VIP). The modules are not replaceable separately, but can be flashed independently, if required.

The CIP interfaces with all of the inputs to the APIM. It contains an analog-to-digital-to-analog converter, as well as the Bluetooth chipset. Any consumer-available application upgrades that are available are loaded directly to the CIP through the USB port.

The VIP provides an interface between the CIP and the vehicle. Its main functions are controlling the APIM power management and translating both inbound and outbound signals over the Controller Area Network (CAN). In addition, the VIP interrogates the modules on the network to retrieve any DTCs when a vehicle health report is requested.

The APIM can receive inputs from the following audio sources:

USB port
Audio input jack
Bluetooth

The USB port can be used for connecting a media device (such as an iPod®) with the device's available cable, or for directly plugging in a portable mass storage device (such as a flash drive). When playing media files stored on a mass storage device, the SYNC® system only plays files that do not have Digital Rights Management (DRM) protection. The USB port can also be used for uploading vehicle application upgrades.

The USB port is powered by the APIM, so no external power source is needed to power a device plugged into the USB port if the device supports this feature.

The audio input jack allows for a portable MP3 player to be connected to the vehicle audio system. When a portable MP3 player is connected, audio from the MP3 player can be played through the vehicle speakers.

The Bluetooth interface can accommodate both Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones and Bluetooth-enabled media devices. Any Bluetooth device used with the SYNC® system must first be paired with the system before it is operational.

Bluetooth is a secure, short-range radio frequency that allows devices to communicate wirelessly through radio waves. The operating range of a Bluetooth signal is a maximum of 32 feet.

Only one Bluetooth phone and one Bluetooth media device can be connected to the system at anytime. If an additional device of either type is paired with the system and made active, the APIM disconnects any active connection and establishes a connection with the new device.

It is important to understand that not all mobile phones have the same level of features when interacting with the SYNC® system. For a list of compatible phones, refer to the SyncMyRide website.

In addition to audio information, metadata may also be sent to the APIM from a device plugged into the USB port. Metadata consists of such information as artist, album title, song title, and genre. The APIM uses the metadata to create indexes that can be used to sort for particular music, based on customer preference. Not all USB devices can send metadata to the APIM; also, no metadata is transferred when a device is connected through the audio input jack. When a new media device is connected to the SYNC® system, the APIM automatically indexes the information. Depending on the amount of data on the device, this may take several minutes and is considered normal operation. When a device that was previously connected to the SYNC® system is reconnected, the APIM updates the index (rather than creating a new one), which reduces the amount of time needed to index the device.

The APIM receives both stereo and mono sound inputs, and can also transmit both stereo and mono sound. The mono function receives the microphone input. It also sends sound to the ACM for voice prompts, the Text-To-Speech (TTS) feature, ringtones, and any audio received through a connected mobile phone. The TTS feature speaks information so that it does not have to be read from the display.

The APIM communicates on the MS-CAN and the High Speed Controller Area Network (HS-CAN). Communication with the scan tool is established through the HS-CAN.