RDS

As the logo above displays, RDS stands for Radio Data System, and is a feature embedded in most modern portable radio's and tuners. RDS was designed for the FM radio signal, and provides information about FM broadcasts. The three basic pieces of data that RDS provides are as follows,

1. Time
2. Station
3. Station Programme

The RDS protocol not only transmits the above digital data, but it can also locate the strongest available signal for any given station. Alongside radio's and tuners, RDS has also been embedded in other portable devices, such as the iPod and mobile phones. The idea for RDS is credited to two organisations/companies, listed below, who had devised a similar system (ARI) for embedding digital data in FM broadcasts.

1. Blaupunkt (manufacturer of radio's)
2. Institut für Rundfunktechnik (research centre based in Munich)