SYNC® System

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2014 Lincoln MKX and 2014 Ford Edge. 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 is comprised of the APIM , a microphone and the media hub. The APIM contains an on-board Bluetooth chipset, which enables certain wireless devices to interact with the system.

The APIM consists of 2 internal modules: the Consumer Interface Processor (CIP) and the Vehicle Interface Processor (VIP). The modules are not replaceable individually, 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 application upgrades that are available to the consumer are loaded directly to the CIP through the Universal Serial Bus (USB) port.

In addition to audio information, metadata (information as artist, album title, song title, and genre) may also be sent to the APIM from a device plugged into the USB port. 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 . When a new media device is connected to the SYNC® system, the APIM automatically indexes the information. This may take several minutes (depending on the amount of data on the device), 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 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 CAN . In addition, the VIP queries the modules on the network to retrieve any DTCs when a vehicle health report is requested.

The APIM receives both stereo and mono sound inputs, and can also transmit both stereo and mono sound. The mono function is used to receive the microphone input. It is also used to send 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 Infotainment Controller Area Network (I-CAN), the MS-CAN and the High Speed Controller Area Network (HS-CAN). Communication with the scan tool is established through the HS-CAN .