Radio Data System, or RDS, is a standard from the European Broadcasting Union for sending small amounts of digital information using conventional FM radio broadcasts. The RDS system standardises several types of information transmitted, including time and station identification. RDS is standard in Europe since the early 90s, but less so in North America. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with protocol (computing). ... Logo of the EBU/UER. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), known in French as LUnion Européenne de Radio-Télévision (UER), and unrelated to the European Union, was formed on 12 February 1950 by 23 broadcasting organizations from Europe and the Mediterranean at a conference in the... A digital system is one that uses discrete numbers, especially binary numbers, or non-numeric symbols such as letters or icons, for input, processing, transmission, storage, or display, rather than a continuous spectrum of values (an analog system). ... Information as a concept bears a diversity of meanings, from everyday usage to technical settings. ... FM radio is a broadcast technology invented by Edwin Howard Armstrong that uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. ... Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and/or video signals (programs) to a number of recipients (listeners or viewers) that belong to a large group. ... Station identification is the practice of any type of radio station identifying itself, typically with a callsign. ... European redirects here. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ...

Radio Broadcast Data System is the official name used for the U.S. version of RDS, though the "RDS" name seems to be at least as common in usage. The two standards are nearly identical, with only slight differences, mainly in which numbers are assigned to each of 31 musical and other programme formats the RBDS system can identify. RBDS was approved by the NRSC, RDS by the EBU. United States is the current Good Article Collaboration of the week! Please help to improve this article to the highest of standards. ... Version is a state of an object or concept that varies from its previous state or condition. ... The National Radio Systems Committee (NRSC) is an organization sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB). ... Logo of the EBU/UER. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), known in French as LUnion Européenne de Radio-Télévision (UER), and unrelated to the European Union, was formed on 12 February 1950 by 23 broadcasting organizations from Europe and the Mediterranean at a conference in the...

Both use a 57kHz subcarrier to carry data at 1187.5 bits per second. The 57kHz was chosen for being the third harmonic (3×) of the pilot tone for FM stereo, so it would not cause interference or intermodulation with it, or with the stereo difference signal at 38kHz (2×). The data format utilises error correction. RDS defines many features (see below), including how private (in-house) or other undefined features (such as differential GPS) can be "packaged" in unused programme groups. A kilohertz (kHz) is a unit of frequency equal to 1,000 hertz (1,000 cycles per second). ... A subcarrier is separate analog or digital signal carried on a main radio transmission, which carries extra information such as voice or data. ... In telecommunications and computing, bit rate (sometimes written bitrate) is the frequency at which bits are passing a given (physical or metaphorical) point. It is quantified using the bit per second (bit/s) unit. ... In acoustics and telecommunication, the harmonic of a wave is a component frequency of the signal that is an integer multiple of the fundamental frequency. ... In telecommunication, a pilot is a signal, usually a single frequency, transmitted over a communications system for supervisory, control, equalization, continuity, synchronization, or reference purposes. ... FM radio is a broadcast technology invented by Edwin Howard Armstrong that uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity broadcast radio sound. ... Interference of two circular waves - Wavelength (decreasing bottom to top) and Wave centers distance (increasing to the right). ... It has been suggested that intermodulation distortion be merged into this article or section. ... In computer science and information theory, error correction consists of using methods to detect and/or correct errors in the transmission or storage of data by the use of some amount of redundant data and (in the case of transmission) the selective retransmission of incorrect segments of the data. ... Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) is an enhancement to Global Positioning System that uses a network of fixed ground based reference stations to broadcast the difference between the positions indicated by the satellite systems and the known fixed positions. ...

Content and implementation

The following information fields are normally contained in the RDS data:

• AF: Alternate Frequencies. This allows a receiver to re-tune to a different frequency providing the same station when the first signal becomes too weak (e.g. when moving out of range). This is often utilised in car stereo systems.
• CT: Clock Time. Can synchronise a clock in the receiver or the main clock in a car.
• EON: Enhanced Other Networks. Allows the receiver to monitor other stations for traffic broadcasts.
• PI: Program Identification. This is the unique code that identify the station. Every station receives a specific code with a country prefix.
• PS: Program Service. This is simply an eight-character static display that represents the call letters or station identity name. Most RDS capable receivers display this information and, if the station is stored in the receiver's presets, will cache this information with the frequency and other details associated with that preset.
• PTY: Program Type. This coding of up to 31 pre-defined programme types – e.g. (in Europe): PTY1 News, PTY6 Drama, PTY11 Rock music – allows users to find similar programming by genre. PTY31 seems to be reserved for emergency announcements in the event of natural disasters or other major calamities.
• REG: Regional links. This is mainly used in countries where national broadcasters run "region-specific" programming such as regional opt-outs on some of their transmitters. This functionality allows the user to "lock-down" the set to their current region or let the radio tune into other region-specific programming as they move into the other region.
• RT: Radio Text. This function allows a radio station to transmit a 64-character free-form textual information that can be either static e.g. station slogans or in sync with the programming such as the title and artist of the currently-playing song.
• TA, TP: Travel Announcements, Traffic Program. The receiver can often be set to pay special attention to this flag and e.g stop the tape or retune to receive a Traffic bulletin. The TP flag is used to allow the user to find only those stations that regularly broadcast traffic bulletins whereas the TA flag is used to stop the tape or raise the volume during a traffic bulletin.
• TMC: Traffic Message Channel. Demands a RDS-TMC decoder.

As far as implementation is concerned, most car sets will support at least AF, EON, REG, PS and TA / TP. More expensive car sets will offer TMC, RT and / or PTY, perhaps with "NEWS" override. Home sets, especially hi-fi sets, will mainly support functions like PS, RT and PTY. There are a growing number of RDS implementations in portable and navigation devices thanks to lower priced, small footprint solutions. The Apple iPod's Radio Remote accessory is one such device. Others include the Garmin Nuvi360 and the Sony-Ericsson K750i. Companies such as Silicon Labs in Austin Texas and NXP Semiconductors (formerly Philips) offer single chip solutions that are found in these devices. The Silicon Labs part supports PS, RT, PTY, TMC, and all other RDS types in a single 3x3 chip. Rough plot of Earths atmospheric transmittance (or opacity) to various wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, including radio waves. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards and appeal to a wider international audience, this article may require cleanup. ... A clock (from the Latin cloca, bell) is an instrument for measuring time. ... Interstate 80, a freeway in California with many lanes and heavy traffic. ... Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and/or video signals (programs) to a number of recipients (listeners or viewers) that belong to a large group. ... Traffic Message Channel, or TMC, is a technology for delivering traffic and travel information to drivers. ... Traffic Message Channel, or TMC, is a technology for delivering traffic and travel information to drivers. ... Traffic Message Channel, or TMC, is a technology for delivering traffic and travel information to drivers. ...

Program Types

The following table lists the RDS and RBDS Program Type codes and their meanings:

Example RDS Usage

The following three images illustrate how RDS can be used on an FM radio station, the latter two were taken when the radio was tuned to Nottingham radio station 96 Trent FM. All the images are of the display on the Sony XDR-S1 DAB/FM/MW/LW portable radio. Nottingham is a city (and county town of Nottinghamshire) in the East Midlands of England. ... 96 Trent FM is an Independent Local Radio station which broadcasts from Nottingham in the United Kingdom. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Typical radio display when no RDS data is available

Typical radio display showing the PS name (programme service) field.

Sample Radio Text usage, in this case showing the name and artist of the song being broadcast - Duran Duran's Save a Prayer - the bottom line scrolls to reveal the rest of the text.

Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2652x468, 432 KB) Typical radio showing the frequency when no rds data is available I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2652x468, 432 KB) Typical radio showing the frequency when no rds data is available I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2768x476, 364 KB) Typical radio showing the RDS PI tag I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2768x476, 364 KB) Typical radio showing the RDS PI tag I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2360x428, 427 KB) Typical radio using the RT function to show Now Playing information. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2360x428, 427 KB) Typical radio using the RT function to show Now Playing information. ...

See also

• DirectBand
• PSIP

DirectBandâ„¢ is a North American wireless datacast network owned and operated by Microsoft. ... The Program and System Information Protocol is the protocol used in the ATSC digital television standard for carrying data about each channel. ...

External links

• A book on RDS "RDS: Radio Data System (Mobile Communications Library)"
• The RDS Forum is the professional association of the users of the Radio Data System broadcast technology
• RDS List
• BBC factsheet - Radio Data System (RDS) in HTML format
• RDS-forum on Yahoo
• RDS: "The Radio Data System", "The Broadcasters Guide to RDS"
• RDS Features Serving as Tuning Aids
• 68hc11 based RDS decoder, Alternative address
• RDS daemon for Video4Linux radios
• Carsten Groß: My RDS decoder and homemade computer
• (16F84 baseret) Hollies RDS decoder
• FM MEDIA PLAZA
• European FM Handbook 2002-2003, The Directory of European FM Broadcasting!
• DX and Radio Groups at the Open Directory Project
• RDS Tuner project
• RDS Decoder for Windows
• RDS-TMC Decoder
• (Scroll a little bit down): ADS Announces World's Most Complete RDS/RBDS/MBS Decoder Chip (RDX-1187c)
• RDS Finland
• Stations using RDS in West Virginia