SYNC System

The SYNC system allows interaction with several types of customer devices, including mobile phones and media devices. 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  . The CIP  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. The main functions of the VIP  are controlling the APIM  power management and translating both inbound and outbound signals over the CAN  .

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 "thumb 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 can be used for connecting a media device (such as an iPod®) utilizing a 1/8-inch audio jack. When a device is connected through the audio input jack, only the speaker volume can be controlled by the ACM  . All other functions (such as seek, fast forward, pause, etc.) must be carried out on the device itself.

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 any one time. If an additional device of either type is paired with the system and made active, the APIM  will disconnect any active connection and establish a connection with the new device.

It is important to understand that not all mobile phones will 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 metadata is used by the APIM  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. 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 create the index.

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, and to send sound to the ACM  for voice prompts, the Text-To-Speech (TTS) feature, ring tones, 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 Global Positioning System Module (GPSM) provides vehicle location for real-time traffic reports and re-routing, and for identifying vehicle location in the event of a collision. The vehicle location information is broadcast to the APIM  over the MS-CAN  .

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