Radio Data System
Encyclopedia
Radio Data System, or RDS, is a communications protocol
standard for embedding small amounts of digital information in conventional FM radio broadcast
s. RDS standardises several types of information transmitted, including time
, station identification
and programme information.
Radio Broadcast Data System (RBDS) is the official name used for the U.S.
version of RDS. The two standards are only slightly different.
The standard began as a project of the European Broadcasting Union
(EBU), but has since become an international standard of the International Electrotechnical Commission
(IEC).
Both carry data at 1,187.5 bits per second on a 57 kHz subcarrier
, so there are exactly 48 cycles of subcarrier during every data bit. The RBDS/RDS subcarrier was set to the third harmonic
of the 19 kHz FM stereo pilot tone to minimize interference
and intermodulation
between the data signal, the stereo pilot and the 38 kHz DSB-SC
stereo difference signal. (The stereo difference signal extends up to 38 kHz + 15 kHz = 53 kHz, leaving 4 kHz for the lower sideband of the RDS signal.)
The data is sent with error correction. RDS defines many features including how private (in-house) or other undefined features can be "packaged" in unused program groups.
(ARI) in Germany by the Institut für Rundfunktechnik
(IRT) and the radio manufacturer Blaupunkt
. ARI used a 57 kHz subcarrier to indicate the presence of traffic information in an FM radio broadcast.
The EBU Technical Committee launched a project at its 1974 Paris
meeting to develop a technology with similar purposes to ARI, but which was more flexible and which would enable automated retuning of a receiver where a broadcast network transmitted the same radio programme on a number of different frequencies. The modulation system was based on that used in a Swedish paging system and the baseband coding was a new design, mainly developed by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and the IRT. The EBU issued the first RDS specification in 1984.
Enhancements to the alternative frequencies functionality were added to the standard and it was subsequently published as a European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization
(CENELEC) standard in 1990.
In 1992 the US National Radio Systems Committee
issued the North American version of the RDS standard, called the Radio Broadcast Data System. The CENELEC standard was updated in 1992 with the addition of Traffic Message Channel
and in 1998 with Open Data Applications and, in 2000, RDS was published worldwide as IEC standard 62106.
AF (alternative 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 utilized in car stereo systems.
CT (clock time): Can synchronize a clock
in the receiver or the main clock in a car. Due to transmission vagaries, CT can only be accurate to within 100 ms of UTC.
EON (enhanced other networks): Allows the receiver to monitor other networks or stations for traffic
programmes
, and automatically temporarily tune into that station.
PI (programme identification): This is the unique code that identifies the station. Every station receives a specific code with a country prefix. In the US, PI is determined by applying a formula to the station's call sign
.
PS (programme 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 (programme 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): 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 (traffic announcement
, traffic programme): The receiver can often be set to pay special attention to this flag and, for example, stop the tape/pause the CD 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 signal an actual traffic bulletin in progress, with radio units perhaps performing other actions such as stopping a cassette tape (so the radio can be heard) or raising the volume during the traffic bulletin.
TMC (traffic message channel
): Digitally encoded traffic information. Not all RDS equipment supports this. Often available for automotive navigation system
s. In many countries only encrypted data is broadcast, and so a subscription and appropriate decoder is required to use.
There are a growing number of RDS implementations in portable and navigation devices thanks to lower-priced, small-footprint solutions. These include:
The later RBDS standard made no attempt to match the original RDS plan, therefore several identical radio format
s were given different numbers, including jazz, weather, sports, and rock. Other similar formats such as varied/college and phone-in/talk are also mismatched. This is mainly a problem for portable radios taken overseas.
radio station Trent FM
. All the images are of the display on the Sony
XDR-S1 DAB/FM/MW/LW portable radio.
Scrolling Program Service messages are illegal in the U.K. and expressly forbidden by the RDS standards for all countries because of the potential of distracting drivers on the road and causing problems with receiver memory stores. Scrolling messages are, however, widely used in mainland Europe and are common in the U.S.
" (PCT) program. The proposed technology would allow electricity consumers exposed to “time-based pricing
” for electricity to respond to an RDS signal containing price information when their retail electricity price changed during periods of high wholesale electricity costs or abnormally high demand that threatened the stability of the electricity grid. The PCT could then automate any actions that the consumer had pre-programmed the device to take. For example, if the price of electricity went up on a hot afternoon because of extremely high demand, the consumer could preset the PCT to raise their air conditioner cooling set point
by a few degrees in order to reduce their overall electricity consumption and bill.
The technology could be extended to other home electricity consuming devices such as water heaters, clothes dryer
s, dishwasher
s, swimming pool
pumps, etc. allowing consumers under time-based pricing
for electricity significant automatic control over their electricity consumption during periods when the price of electricity is naturally higher than normal (see load management
). The goal is to give consumers a choice between paying more for high value peak electricity, or reducing their lowest value loads at those times. Such voluntary “demand response
” behavior could significantly reduce the price of electricity during non-peak periods because of reduced need for infrequently used peaking power plant
s, and also reduce the chances of blackout
s during emergency events when the electricity grid is stressed or damaged.
RDS subcarrier use for the control of peak power has been in development in Australia since early 2000. ETSA the South Australia Electricity Trust and Saab Systems Australia, a local South Australia
n company, pioneered the idea after Saab engineer Trent Ryan developed the idea in late 1999 and brought it to Saab for further refinement.
In Sweden, RDS PTY signalling is used to let the public service broadcaster break into commercial radio station transmissions to broadcast emergency warnings.
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 mm chip and its intended purpose is portable usage (such as mobile phones and MP3 players). NXP also has solutions in this field, and has some automotive chips.
Related technologies
Related topics
Communications protocol
A communications protocol is a system of digital message formats and rules for exchanging those messages in or between computing systems and in telecommunications...
standard for embedding small amounts of digital information in conventional FM radio broadcast
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
s. RDS standardises several types of information transmitted, including time
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
, station identification
Station identification
Station identification is the practice of radio or television stations or networks identifying themselves on air, typically by means of a call sign or brand name...
and programme information.
Radio Broadcast Data System (RBDS) is the official name used for the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
version of RDS. The two standards are only slightly different.
The standard began as a project of the European Broadcasting Union
European Broadcasting Union
The European Broadcasting Union is a confederation of 74 broadcasting organisations from 56 countries, and 49 associate broadcasters from a further 25...
(EBU), but has since become an international standard of the International Electrotechnical Commission
International Electrotechnical Commission
The International Electrotechnical Commission is a non-profit, non-governmental international standards organization that prepares and publishes International Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies – collectively known as "electrotechnology"...
(IEC).
Both carry data at 1,187.5 bits per second on a 57 kHz subcarrier
Subcarrier
A subcarrier is a separate analog or digital signal carried on a main radio transmission, which carries extra information such as voice or data. More technically, it is an already-modulated signal, which is then modulated into another signal of higher frequency and bandwidth...
, so there are exactly 48 cycles of subcarrier during every data bit. The RBDS/RDS subcarrier was set to the third harmonic
Harmonic
A harmonic of a wave is a component frequency of the signal that is an integer multiple of the fundamental frequency, i.e. if the fundamental frequency is f, the harmonics have frequencies 2f, 3f, 4f, . . . etc. The harmonics have the property that they are all periodic at the fundamental...
of the 19 kHz FM stereo pilot tone to minimize interference
Interference (communication)
In communications and electronics, especially in telecommunications, interference is anything which alters, modifies, or disrupts a signal as it travels along a channel between a source and a receiver. The term typically refers to the addition of unwanted signals to a useful signal...
and intermodulation
Intermodulation
Intermodulation or intermodulation distortion is the amplitude modulation of signals containing two or more different frequencies in a system with nonlinearities...
between the data signal, the stereo pilot and the 38 kHz DSB-SC
Double-sideband suppressed-carrier transmission
Double-sideband suppressed-carrier transmission : transmission in which frequencies produced by amplitude modulation are symmetrically spaced above and below the carrier frequency and the carrier level is reduced to the lowest practical level, ideally completely suppressed.In the double-sideband...
stereo difference signal. (The stereo difference signal extends up to 38 kHz + 15 kHz = 53 kHz, leaving 4 kHz for the lower sideband of the RDS signal.)
The data is sent with error correction. RDS defines many features including how private (in-house) or other undefined features can be "packaged" in unused program groups.
Development
RDS was inspired by the development of the Autofahrer-Rundfunk-InformationssystemAutofahrer-Rundfunk-Informationssystem
Autofahrer-Rundfunk-Informationssystem was a system for indicating the presence of traffic information in FM broadcasts used by the German ARD network of FM radio stations from 1974...
(ARI) in Germany by the Institut für Rundfunktechnik
Institut für Rundfunktechnik
The Institut für Rundfunktechnik GmbH is the research centre of the German broadcasters , Austria's broadcaster and the Swiss public broadcaster . It is located in Munich and is responsible for the research and standardisation of broadcasting technology...
(IRT) and the radio manufacturer Blaupunkt
Blaupunkt
GmbH is a German manufacturer of electronics equipment, noted for its home and car audio equipment. It was a 100% subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH until March 1st, 2009 when its Aftermarket and Accessories branch including the brand name were sold to Aurelius AG of Germany for an undisclosed...
. ARI used a 57 kHz subcarrier to indicate the presence of traffic information in an FM radio broadcast.
The EBU Technical Committee launched a project at its 1974 Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
meeting to develop a technology with similar purposes to ARI, but which was more flexible and which would enable automated retuning of a receiver where a broadcast network transmitted the same radio programme on a number of different frequencies. The modulation system was based on that used in a Swedish paging system and the baseband coding was a new design, mainly developed by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and the IRT. The EBU issued the first RDS specification in 1984.
Enhancements to the alternative frequencies functionality were added to the standard and it was subsequently published as a European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization
European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization
CENELEC is the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization.CENELEC is responsible for European Standardization in the area of electrical engineering...
(CENELEC) standard in 1990.
In 1992 the US National Radio Systems Committee
National Radio Systems Committee
The National Radio Systems Committee is an organization sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association and the National Association of Broadcasters . Its main purpose is to set industry technical standards for radio broadcasting in the United States...
issued the North American version of the RDS standard, called the Radio Broadcast Data System. The CENELEC standard was updated in 1992 with the addition of Traffic Message Channel
Traffic Message Channel
Traffic Message Channel is a technology for delivering traffic and travel information to drivers. It is typically digitally coded using the FM-RDS system on conventional FM radio broadcasts...
and in 1998 with Open Data Applications and, in 2000, RDS was published worldwide as IEC standard 62106.
Content and implementation
The following information fields are normally contained in the RDS data:AF (alternative frequencies): This allows a receiver to re-tune to a different frequency
Radio frequency
Radio frequency is a rate of oscillation in the range of about 3 kHz to 300 GHz, which corresponds to the frequency of radio waves, and the alternating currents which carry radio signals...
providing the same station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
when the first signal becomes too weak (e.g., when moving out of range). This is often utilized in car stereo systems.
CT (clock time): Can synchronize a clock
Clock
A clock is an instrument used to indicate, keep, and co-ordinate time. The word clock is derived ultimately from the Celtic words clagan and clocca meaning "bell". A silent instrument missing such a mechanism has traditionally been known as a timepiece...
in the receiver or the main clock in a car. Due to transmission vagaries, CT can only be accurate to within 100 ms of UTC.
EON (enhanced other networks): Allows the receiver to monitor other networks or stations for traffic
Traffic
Traffic on roads may consist of pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars and other conveyances, either singly or together, while using the public way for purposes of travel...
programmes
Traffic reporting
Traffic reporting is the distribution of information about road conditions such as traffic congestion, detours, and traffic accidents, generally as part of a radio or television broadcast program. The reports help commuters anticipate and avoid traffic problems. Many reports mention alternate...
, and automatically temporarily tune into that station.
PI (programme identification): This is the unique code that identifies the station. Every station receives a specific code with a country prefix. In the US, PI is determined by applying a formula to the station's call sign
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
.
PS (programme 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 (programme 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): 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 (traffic announcement
Traffic Announcement
Traffic announcement refers to the broadcasting of a specific type of traffic report on the Radio Data System. It is generally used by motorists, to assist with route planning, and for the avoidance of traffic congestion....
, traffic programme): The receiver can often be set to pay special attention to this flag and, for example, stop the tape/pause the CD 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 signal an actual traffic bulletin in progress, with radio units perhaps performing other actions such as stopping a cassette tape (so the radio can be heard) or raising the volume during the traffic bulletin.
TMC (traffic message channel
Traffic Message Channel
Traffic Message Channel is a technology for delivering traffic and travel information to drivers. It is typically digitally coded using the FM-RDS system on conventional FM radio broadcasts...
): Digitally encoded traffic information. Not all RDS equipment supports this. Often available for automotive navigation system
Automotive navigation system
An automotive navigation system is a satellite navigation system designed for use in automobiles. It typically uses a GPS navigation device to acquire position data to locate the user on a road in the unit's map database. Using the road database, the unit can give directions to other locations...
s. In many countries only encrypted data is broadcast, and so a subscription and appropriate decoder is required to use.
RDS support
As far as implementation is concerned, most car stereos will support at least AF, EON, REG, PS and TA/TP.- More expensive car stereos will offer TMCTraffic Message ChannelTraffic Message Channel is a technology for delivering traffic and travel information to drivers. It is typically digitally coded using the FM-RDS system on conventional FM radio broadcasts...
, RT and / or PTY, perhaps with "NEWS" override. - Home systems, especially hi-fi receivers, 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. These include:
|
Nokia Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
|
Motorola Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
|
Program types
The following table lists the RDS and RBDS Program Type (PTY) codes and their meanings:| PTY code | RDS Program type (EU) | RBDS Program type (North America) |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | No programme type or undefined | No program type or undefined |
| 1 | News | News |
| 2 | Current affairs Current affairs (news format) Current Affairs is a genre of broadcast journalism where the emphasis is on detailed analysis and discussion of news stories that have recently occurred or are ongoing at the time of broadcast.... |
Information |
| 3 | Information | Sports |
| 4 | Sport | Talk Talk radio Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live... |
| 5 | Education | Rock |
| 6 | Drama | Classic rock Classic rock Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the... |
| 7 | Culture | Adult hits Adult hits Adult hits is a radio format, popular in the early 2000s, that does not adhere to a specific music genre, but instead draws from a wider playlist... |
| 8 | Science | Soft rock Soft rock Soft rock is a style of music which uses the techniques of rock music to compose a softer, more toned-down sound. Soft rock songs generally tend to focus on themes like love, everyday life and relationships. The genre tends to make heavy use of acoustic guitars, pianos, synthesizers and sometimes... |
| 9 | Varied | Top 40 |
| 10 | Pop music Pop music Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop... |
Country |
| 11 | Rock music Rock music Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music... |
Oldies Oldies Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day.... |
| 12 | Easy listening Easy listening Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres... |
Soft |
| 13 | Light classical | Nostalgia Nostalgia The term nostalgia describes a yearning for the past, often in idealized form.The word is a learned formation of a Greek compound, consisting of , meaning "returning home", a Homeric word, and , meaning "pain, ache"... |
| 14 | Serious classical | Jazz |
| 15 | Other music | Classical |
| 16 | Weather | Rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a... |
| 17 | Finance | Soft rhythm and blues |
| 18 | Children’s programmes | Language |
| 19 | Social affairs | Religious music |
| 20 | Religion | Religious talk |
| 21 | Phone-in | Personality |
| 22 | Travel | Public |
| 23 | Leisure | College |
| 24 | Jazz music | Unassigned |
| 25 | Country music | Unassigned |
| 26 | National music | Unassigned |
| 27 | Oldies music | Unassigned |
| 28 | Folk music | Unassigned |
| 29 | Documentary | Weather |
| 30 | Alarm test | Emergency test |
| 31 | Alarm | Emergency Emergency Alert System The Emergency Alert System is a national warning system in the United States put into place on January 1, 1997, when it superseded the Emergency Broadcast System , which itself had superseded the CONELRAD System... |
The later RBDS standard made no attempt to match the original RDS plan, therefore several identical radio format
Radio format
A radio format or programming format not to be confused with broadcast programming describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. Radio formats are frequently employed as a marketing tool, and constantly evolve...
s were given different numbers, including jazz, weather, sports, and rock. Other similar formats such as varied/college and phone-in/talk are also mismatched. This is mainly a problem for portable radios taken overseas.
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 NottinghamNottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
radio station Trent FM
Trent FM
Trent FM was an Independent Local Radio station which broadcast to Nottinghamshire. The station merged with two other East Midlands stations, Leicester Sound and Ram FM to form Capital FM East Midlands on Monday 3 January 2011.-History:Launched on 3 July 1975 as Radio Trent and based in a...
. All the images are of the display on the Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
XDR-S1 DAB/FM/MW/LW portable radio.
Other usage
In addition, RDS is being proposed as the data transmission protocol in California's "Programmable Communicating ThermostatProgrammable Communicating Thermostat
The term programmable communicating thermostat is used by the California Energy Commission to describe programmable thermostats that can receive information wirelessly....
" (PCT) program. The proposed technology would allow electricity consumers exposed to “time-based pricing
Time-based pricing
Time-based pricing refers to a type offer or contract by a provider of a service or supplier of a commodity, in which the price depends on the time when the service is provided or the commodity is delivered. The rational background of time-based pricing is expected or observed change of the supply...
” for electricity to respond to an RDS signal containing price information when their retail electricity price changed during periods of high wholesale electricity costs or abnormally high demand that threatened the stability of the electricity grid. The PCT could then automate any actions that the consumer had pre-programmed the device to take. For example, if the price of electricity went up on a hot afternoon because of extremely high demand, the consumer could preset the PCT to raise their air conditioner cooling set point
Thermostat
A thermostat is the component of a control system which regulates the temperature of a system so that the system's temperature is maintained near a desired setpoint temperature. The thermostat does this by switching heating or cooling devices on or off, or regulating the flow of a heat transfer...
by a few degrees in order to reduce their overall electricity consumption and bill.
The technology could be extended to other home electricity consuming devices such as water heaters, clothes dryer
Clothes dryer
A clothes dryer or tumble dryer is a household appliance that is used to remove moisture from a load of clothing and other textiles, generally shortly after they are cleaned in a washing machine....
s, dishwasher
Dishwasher
A dishwasher is a mechanical device for cleaning dishes and eating utensils. Dishwashers can be found in restaurants and private homes.Unlike manual dishwashing, which relies largely on physical scrubbing to remove soiling, the mechanical dishwasher cleans by spraying hot water, typically between ...
s, swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
pumps, etc. allowing consumers under time-based pricing
Time-based pricing
Time-based pricing refers to a type offer or contract by a provider of a service or supplier of a commodity, in which the price depends on the time when the service is provided or the commodity is delivered. The rational background of time-based pricing is expected or observed change of the supply...
for electricity significant automatic control over their electricity consumption during periods when the price of electricity is naturally higher than normal (see load management
Load management
Load management is the process of balancing the supply of electricity on the network with the electrical load by adjusting or controlling the load rather than the power station output...
). The goal is to give consumers a choice between paying more for high value peak electricity, or reducing their lowest value loads at those times. Such voluntary “demand response
Demand response
In electricity grids, demand response is similar to dynamic demand mechanisms to manage customer consumption of electricity in response to supply conditions, for example, having electricity customers reduce their consumption at critical times or in response to market prices...
” behavior could significantly reduce the price of electricity during non-peak periods because of reduced need for infrequently used peaking power plant
Peaking power plant
Peaking power plants, also known as peaker plants, and occasionally just "peakers," are power plants that generally run only when there is a high demand, known as peak demand, for electricity.-Peak hours:...
s, and also reduce the chances of blackout
Power outage
A power outage is a short- or long-term loss of the electric power to an area.There are many causes of power failures in an electricity network...
s during emergency events when the electricity grid is stressed or damaged.
RDS subcarrier use for the control of peak power has been in development in Australia since early 2000. ETSA the South Australia Electricity Trust and Saab Systems Australia, a local South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
n company, pioneered the idea after Saab engineer Trent Ryan developed the idea in late 1999 and brought it to Saab for further refinement.
In Sweden, RDS PTY signalling is used to let the public service broadcaster break into commercial radio station transmissions to broadcast emergency warnings.
RDS chipsets
Companies such as ST Microelectronics, Silicon LabsSilicon Laboratories
Silicon Laboratories, Inc. is a mixed signal fabless semiconductor company based in Austin, Texas.The company was founded in 1996 by three veterans from the former Crystal Semiconductor – Nav Sooch, Dave Welland and Jeff Scott . The company's CEO is Necip Sayiner. The company went public in...
in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
and NXP Semiconductors (formerly Philips
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
) 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 mm chip and its intended purpose is portable usage (such as mobile phones and MP3 players). NXP also has solutions in this field, and has some automotive chips.
See also
High-level RDS APIs- Advanced Multimedia SupplementsAdvanced Multimedia SupplementsIn computing, the Advanced Multimedia Supplements is an API specification for the Java ME platform. Practically speaking, it is an extension to JSR 135 Mobile Media API providing new features, such as positional 3D audio processing, audio and video effects processing, better controls for digital...
(JSR-234) (in Java programming language) - OpenMAX AL (in C programming language)
Related technologies
- Data Radio Channel (DARC)
- DirectBandDirectBandDirectBand is a North American wireless datacast network owned and operated by Microsoft. It uses FM radio broadcasts in over 100 cities to constantly transmit data to a variety of devices, including portable GPS devices, wristwatches and home weather stations....
- PSIP
- ALERT FM- RBDS emergency notification system
- HEAROHEAROThe HEARO Local Alert Receiver is an emergency management tool to relay and display informational text messages in English, Spanish, French and German using RDS technology. It notifies local residents in the event of an emergency within a matter of seconds. HEARO carries NOAA weather warnings and...
Local Alert Receiver - UECP -protocol (Universal Encoder Communication Protocol)
Related topics
- Digital radioDigital radioDigital radio has several meanings:1. Today the most common meaning is digital radio broadcasting technologies, such as the digital audio broadcasting system, also known as Eureka 147. In these systems, the analog audio signal is digitized into zeros and ones, compressed using formats such as...
- Error correction
- ModemModemA modem is a device that modulates an analog carrier signal to encode digital information, and also demodulates such a carrier signal to decode the transmitted information. The goal is to produce a signal that can be transmitted easily and decoded to reproduce the original digital data...
- FM broadcastingFM broadcastingFM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
- Internet radio deviceInternet radio deviceAn Internet radio device, also called network music player is a hardware device that is capable of receiving and playing streamed media from either Internet radio stations or a home network.-Background:...
- List of stations using the Radio Data System in New Zealand
- Radio receiver
External links
- FARWAY IRFC, TV and Radio Transmission , Radio Data System Encoders
- Specification of the RDS standard, available via the RDS Forum
- "NRSC-4 National Radio Systems Committee United States RBDS Standard - Specification of the radio broadcast data system (RBDS)"
- The RDS Forum is the professional association of the users of the Radio Data System broadcast technology
- BBC factsheet - Radio Data System (RDS) in HTML format
- RDSList.com
- RDS on Cgran.org - A GNU Radio-based open source implementation of an RDS receiver and transmitter