IEC 62106:2015

Specification of the radio data system (RDS) for VHF/FM sound broadcasting in the frequency range from 87,5 MHz to 108,0 MHz

IEC 62106:2015(E) describes the Radio Data System, RDS, intended for application to VHF/FM sound broadcasts in the range 87,5 MHz to 108,0 MHz which may carry either stereophonic (pilot-tone system) or monophonic programmes (as stated in ITU-R Recommendation BS 450-3 and ITU-R Recommendation BS.643-3). The main objectives of RDS are to enable improved functionality for FM receivers and to make them more user-friendly by using features such as Programme Identification, Programme Service name display and, where applicable, automatic tuning for portable and car radios, in particular. The relevant basic tuning and switching information therefore has to be implemented by the type 0 group (see 6.1.5.1), and it is not optional unlike many of the other possible features in RDS. This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition, published in 2009 and constitutes a technical revision. It includes the following changes:
- for the RDS feature EON and the use of group types 14A and 14B some additional explanations were added;
- in Annex E, containing the character code tables to be used in RDS, the explanation for Table E.1 and Table E.2 was extended;
- several small typing errors were corrected;
- to Enhanced RadioText in Annex Q an additional explanation was added.

General Information

• Status: Replaced
• Publication Date: 29-Mar-2015
• ICS: 33.160.40 - Video systems
• Technical Committee: TC 100 - Audio, video and multimedia systems and equipment
• Drafting Committee: MT 62106 - TC 100/TA 1/MT 62106
• Current Stage: DELPUB - Deleted Publication
• Start Date: 28-Apr-2017
• Completion Date: 10-Oct-2018

Relations

• Replaced By: IEC 62106-9:2021 - Radio Data System (RDS) - VHF/FM sound broadcasting in the frequency range from 64,0 MHz to 108,0 MHz - Part 9: RBDS - RDS variant used in North America
• Effective Date: 05-Sep-2023
• Replaced By: IEC 62106-3:2018 - Radio data system (RDS) - VHF/FM sound broadcasting in the frequency range from 64,0 MHz to 108,0 MHz - Part 3: Usage and registration of Open Data Applications (ODAs)
• Effective Date: 05-Sep-2023
• Replaced By: IEC 62106-6:2018 - Radio data system (RDS) - VHF/FM sound broadcasting in the frequency range from 64,0 MHz to 108,0 MHz - Part 6: Compilation of technical specifications for Open Data Applications in the public domain
• Effective Date: 05-Sep-2023
• Replaced By: IEC 62106-10:2021 - Radio data system (RDS) - VHF/FM sound broadcasting in the frequency range from 64,0 MHz to 108,0 MHz - Part 10: UECP - Universal Encoder Communication Protocol
• Effective Date: 05-Sep-2023
• Replaced By: IEC 62106-2:2018 - Radio data system (RDS) - VHF/FM sound broadcasting in the frequency range from 64,0 MHz to 108,0 MHz - Part 2: Message format: Coding and definition of RDS features
• Effective Date: 05-Sep-2023
• Replaced By: IEC 62106-1:2018 - Radio data system (RDS) - VHF/FM sound broadcasting in the frequency range from 64,0 MHz to 108,0 MHz - Part 1: Modulation characteristics and baseband coding
• Effective Date: 05-Sep-2023
• Replaced By: IEC 62106-4:2018 - Radio data system (RDS) - VHF/FM sound broadcasting in the frequency range from 64,0 MHz to 108,0 MHz - Part 4: Registered code tables
• Effective Date: 05-Sep-2023
• Replaced By: IEC 62106-5:2018 - Radio data system (RDS) - VHF/FM sound broadcasting in the frequency range from 64,0 MHz to 108,0 MHz - Part 5: Marking of RDS receiver devices
• Effective Date: 05-Sep-2023
• Revises: IEC 62106:2009 - Specification of the Radio Data System (RDS) for VHF/FM sound broadcasting in the frequency range from 87,5 MHz to 108,0 MHz
• Effective Date: 05-Sep-2023
• Revises: IEC 62106:2009/COR1:2010 - Corrigendum 1 - Specification of the Radio Data System (RDS) for VHF/FM sound broadcasting in the frequency range from 87,5 MHz to 108,0 MHz
• Effective Date: 05-Sep-2023

Standards Content (Sample)

IEC 62106 ®
Edition 3.0 2015-03
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
Specification of the radio data system (RDS) for VHF/FM sound broadcasting in
the frequency range from 87,5 MHz to 108,0 MHz

All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form

or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from

either IEC or IEC's member National Committee in the country of the requester. If you have any questions about IEC
copyright or have an enquiry about obtaining additional rights to this publication, please contact the address below or

your local IEC member National Committee for further information.

IEC Central Office Tel.: [phone]
3, rue de Varembé Fax: [phone]

CH-1211 Geneva 20 [e-mail]
Switzerland www.iec.ch
About the IEC
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is the leading global organization that prepares and publishes
International Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies.

About IEC publications
The technical content of IEC publications is kept under constant review by the IEC. Please make sure that you have the
latest edition, a corrigenda or an amendment might have been published.

IEC Catalogue - webstore.iec.ch/catalogue Electropedia - www.electropedia.org
The stand-alone application for consulting the entire The world's leading online dictionary of electronic and
bibliographical information on IEC International Standards, electrical terms containing more than 30 000 terms and
Technical Specifications, Technical Reports and other definitions in English and French, with equivalent terms in 15
documents. Available for PC, Mac OS, Android Tablets and additional languages. Also known as the International
iPad. Electrotechnical Vocabulary (IEV) online.

IEC publications search - www.iec.ch/searchpub IEC Glossary - std.iec.ch/glossary
The advanced search enables to find IEC publications by a More than 60 000 electrotechnical terminology entries in
variety of criteria (reference number, text, technical English and French extracted from the Terms and Definitions
committee,…). It also gives information on projects, replaced clause of IEC publications issued since 2002. Some entries
and withdrawn publications. have been collected from earlier publications of IEC TC 37,

77, 86 and CISPR.
IEC Just Published - webstore.iec.ch/justpublished
Stay up to date on all new IEC publications. Just Published IEC Customer Service Centre - webstore.iec.ch/csc
details all new publications released. Available online and If you wish to give us your feedback on this publication or
also once a month by email. need further assistance, please contact the Customer Service
Centre: [e-mail].
IEC 62106 ®
Edition 3.0 2015-03
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
Specification of the radio data system (RDS) for VHF/FM sound broadcasting in

the frequency range from 87,5 MHz to 108,0 MHz

INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
ICS 33.160.40 ISBN 978-2-8322-2544-8

– 2 – IEC 62106:2015 © IEC 2015

CONTENTS
FOREWORD. 9

INTRODUCTION . 11

1 Scope . 12

2 Normative references. 12

3 Abbreviations . 12

4 Modulation characteristics of the data channel (physical layer) . 13

4.1 General . 13

4.2 Subcarrier frequency . 14
4.3 Subcarrier phase . 15
4.4 Subcarrier level . 15
4.5 Method of modulation . 15
4.6 Clock-frequency and data-rate . 15
4.7 Differential coding . 16
4.8 Data-channel spectrum shaping . 16
5 Baseband coding (data-link layer) . 19
5.1 Baseband coding structure . 19
5.2 Order of bit transmission . 20
5.3 Error protection . 21
5.4 Synchronisation of blocks and groups . 21
6 Message format (session and presentation layers) . 22
6.1 Addressing . 22
6.1.1 Design principles . 22
6.1.2 Principal features . 22
6.1.3 Group types . 23
6.1.4 Open data channel/Applications Identification . 25
6.1.5 Coding of the group types . 27
6.2 Coding of information . 44
6.2.1 General . 44
6.2.2 Coding of information for control . 44
6.2.3 Coding and use of information for display . 54
6.2.4 Coding of clock time and date (CT) . 54
6.2.5 Coding of information for Transparent Data Channels (TDC) . 55

6.2.6 Coding of information for in house applications (IH) . 55
6.2.7 Coding of Radio Paging (RP) . 55
6.2.8 Coding of Emergency Warning Systems (EWS) . 56
7 Description of features . 57
7.1 Alternative frequencies list (AF) . 57
7.2 Clock Time and date (CT) . 57
7.3 Decoder Identification (DI) and dynamic PTY Indicator (PTYI) . 57
7.4 Extended Country Code (ECC) . 57
7.5 Enhanced Other Networks information (EON) . 57
7.6 Emergency Warning System (EWS) . 57
7.7 In House application (IH) . 57
7.8 Music Speech switch (MS) . 58
7.9 Open Data Applications (ODA) . 58
7.10 Programme Identification (PI) . 58

7.11 Programme Item Number (PIN) . 59

7.12 Programme Service name (PS) . 59

7.13 Programme Type (PTY) . 59

7.14 Programme Type Name (PTYN) . 59

7.15 Radio Paging (RP) . 59

7.16 RadioText (RT) . 59

7.17 Enhanced RadioText (eRT) . 59

7.18 RadioText Plus (RT+) . 60

7.19 Traffic Announcement identification (TA) . 60

7.20 Transparent Data Channels (TDC) . 60

7.21 Traffic Message Channel (TMC) . 60
7.22 Traffic Programme identification (TP) . 60
8 Marking . 60
Annex A (normative) Offset words to be used for group and block synchronisation . 62
Annex B (informative) Theory and implementation of the modified shortened cyclic
code . 63
B.1 General . 63
B.2 Encoding procedure . 63
B.2.1 Theory . 63
B.2.2 Shift-register implementation of the encoder . 65
B.3 Decoding procedure . 65
B.3.1 Theory . 65
B.3.2 Implementation of the decoder . 67
Annex C (informative) Implementation of group and block synchronisation using the
modified shortened cyclic code . 69
C.1 Theory . 69
C.1.1 Acquisition of group and block synchronisation . 69
C.1.2 Detection of loss of synchronisation . 69
C.2 Shift register arrangement for deriving group and block synchronisation
information . 69
Annex D (normative) Programme identification codes and extended country codes . 72
D.1 General . 72
D.2 PI structure . 72
D.3 Extended country codes . 72
D.4 Country codes: ‘Nibble 1’ . 73

D.5 Programme in terms of area coverage (codes for fixed location transmitters
only): ‘Nibble 2’ . 76
D.6 Programme reference number: ‘Nibbles 3 and 4’ . 76
D.7 PI codes for low-power short range transmitting devices . 77
Annex E (normative) Basic and extended RDS character sets . 78
Annex F (normative) Programme type codes . 98
Annex G (informative) Conversion between time and date conventions . 101
Annex H (informative) ARI (Autofahrer-Rundfunk-Information) system –
Discontinuation . 103
Annex J (normative) Language identification . 104
Annex K (informative) RDS logo . 106
Annex L (informative) Open data registration . 107
Annex M (normative) Coding of Radio Paging (RP) . 110

– 4 – IEC 62106:2015 © IEC 2015

M.1 General .
...