[SOLVED] Digital IPC Firmware update

[Amenra]

Is this vehicle specific? If not, how would I determine which file correlates with the background? Thank you

If you have the JS7T version it would be the JS7T-14C088-AJB file you have to change to JS7T-14C088-AJB.NoMask.vbf
And the JS7T-14C088-BJB.vbf with all the graphics.

[stimpy88]

Is this vehicle specific? If not, how would I determine which file correlates with the background? Thank you

It's strange as there seems to be a very steep learning curve to this. There are no obvious instructions or anything that I can find on that site.

[Amenra]

It's really not THAT difficult. Maybe you have to be a vip-member or performed a lot of postings, I don't know

I thought there were also some postings on this forum, but I'm not sure.

Only thing you need is a new plastic frame. Payed license Forscan, a battery charger and the two files. I can search some info for you, but that will be this evening when I'm back at home.

[stimpy88]

It's really not THAT difficult. Maybe you have to be a vip-member or performed a lot of postings, I don't know

I thought there were also some postings on this forum, but I'm not sure.

Only thing you need is a new plastic frame. Payed license Forscan, a battery charger and the two files. I can search some info for you, but that will be this evening when I'm back at home.

Thanks, your really helpful. I clicked the link you sent, then the site wants me to join discord, which I did, it then goes to the discord site, and there are lots of people posting, but I simply cannot find anywhere on that site which tells you what you have to do, and how to do it. I can't find any instructions what so ever. I get that you need to upload some files to the tool, but that's it. I worked that out because that is the only option on the page!

I'm normally tech savvy, but this one is a bit of a mystery to me!

[Amenra]

I'll give you more detailed info when I'm back from work. Would be this evening

[Amenra]

It's really not THAT difficult. Maybe you have to be a vip-member or performed a lot of postings, I don't know

I thought there were also some postings on this forum, but I'm not sure.

Only thing you need is a new plastic frame. Payed license Forscan, a battery charger and the two files. I can search some info for you, but that will be this evening when I'm back at home.

Thanks, your really helpful. I clicked the link you sent, then the site wants me to join discord, which I did, it then goes to the discord site, and there are lots of people posting, but I simply cannot find anywhere on that site which tells you what you have to do, and how to do it. I can't find any instructions what so ever. I get that you need to upload some files to the tool, but that's it. I worked that out because that is the only option on the page!

I'm normally tech savvy, but this one is a bit of a mystery to me!

So what do you need to perform the update.
1. Forscan paid license with 2.4.x
2. Battery charger
3. OBDLinkEX adapter

And off course a new frame in plastic.

You need the No.Mask file. (KS7T, JS7T or LS7T... ) This file should be flashed only once. (This file is created by Chemikus from the German MK5 forum (maybe other fora as well). Thanks to him all this is possible.

You also need the file where the graphics are stored. For the JS7T it's the JS7T-14C088-BJB.vbf That's the file we have to edit to a full working digital cluster.

We can create such a file in the Pimp My Ford App. (Thanks to Szendo, the creator of this app) The good thing is that we don't have to change a lot of settings to make the file work, because there are free files on the internet where you can start editing with. Mostly the dimensions of those files are correct, so you don't have to adjust them anymore. I have a bunch of files people can use. And for free !

When you first open the App and you load a file, it could look like this :



So first thing to do is select Full Screen Mod and load the template you created or want to test.



Now I can give you a full detailed explanation but easiest way is to create a full template and load that one to the MOD. In the app you can check if everything looks good. It would be something like this:



You have above the active part (the name must always include _active in it)

And you have the quiet part. (when menu in the middle, left and assist right menu is turned off) Also it should be named _quiet(blablabla)



The size of the template should be 1280x422 and saved as 16bit BMP A1R5G5B5 compression. Easiest way to do is in Gimp (or PS)

Once you created or changed a template you can upload that one to the app and check your file.
-Are lines from the speedo correct, are all object aligned etc. The bitmaps from fuel, lights, and many others are stored in the file. But you also can change them. It's not that difficult.

I can write 10 pages with things you can do or how it must be done. But the best way is to practice or try at least.

You can find the app here : https://pimp-my-ford.web.app/ipc

If you need help with other things you can join Discord forum here https://discord.gg/xwWrwcnwNu

I know the forum over there isn't that simple to browse and the info is not always shared in the right place, but if you search a bit, you will find what you're looking for. And if not, you can always ask

And now , I'm gonna do a 5 min beauty nap

[stimpy88]

Wow Amenra!!!

Thank you so much for taking the time to open the door to this kind of modding!

I assume you download the firmware from the IPC via ForScan, modify it, then use Forscan to upload the file to the IPC, only that one file, or a whole firmware flash?

[Amenra]

I've downloaded my files here :https://www.fordtechservice.dealerconne ... rogram.asp but maybe you could download them with Forscan too. I don't know Never tried.

If you use the downloaded file from Ford, that's a semi-digital file. So you do have to adjust some size-settings in the app because otherwise your digital display will look like crap. That's because your IPC won't recognize the dimensions of your image. And with the semi-digital there is no image on the bottom of your IPC. So fuel and temp are always with a black background. In the _quiet template it stays that way, but with the _active part you can fill the whole screen. Except a few boxes on the bottom...



This one was my first template and as you can see, I've made a few mistakes.. The outline round the meters should be made black. Otherwise it doesn't look good in the car.

So after some changes it looked like this :



Now what I was saying .... If you upload a standard file to the app you have to change it dimensions. Otherwise you will end with a small look. The images won't stretch out to the borders.

The dimensions you have to use are :



So you can change them to the above dimension, or you can use a ready made file. If you change the dimensions from the standard file, you can use it all over in the future.



It will be this file you must flash every time to your IPC if you want to change the look.

The No.Mask-file you have to flash only once.

Hope this helps a bit.

[micaufo]

Is this vehicle specific? If not, how would I determine which file correlates with the background? Thank you

If you have the JS7T version it would be the JS7T-14C088-AJB file you have to change to JS7T-14C088-AJB.NoMask.vbf
And the JS7T-14C088-BJB.vbf with all the graphics.

Do you have these files available and can you maybe send me them?

JS7T-14C026-AJB
JS7T-14C026-BJB
JS7T-14C088-AJB and JS7T-14C088-AJB.NoMask.vbf
JS7T-14C088-BJB

[sirmo]

Hello,

Sorry for bringing up an old topic.

As I want the digital speedometer and the As Built IPC 720-07-01 xxx0 xxxx xxxx to IPC 720-07-01 xxx1 xxxx xxxx had no effect, I'm about to update my IPC firmware of S-Max 2016 SYNC2.
I assume it's the same procedure as described here for the Mondeo.

So I planned to use Forscan to download the correct files, flash it and enjoy the new look.

This part is confusing me:
"So what do you need to perform the update.
1. Forscan paid license with 2.4.x
2. Battery charger
3. OBDLinkEX adapter

And off course a new frame in plastic."

I've got:
1.Forscan paid license 2.3.56 (can't find the beta 2.4.x)
2.Battery charger
3.Vgate vLinker FS ELM327

Can someone tell me what is the plastic frame?

Or have I completely got this update process wrong