Curs Nr. 7
28/11/2008
Entertainment Radio Basics
Emilian Mariniuc
Content
What does this presentation contains?
Following slides are related to Radio Basics and also few things about Media
Player.
What is not in the scope of this presentation?
This presentation will not contain projects specific communication protocols or
implementation code.
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Mariniuc Emilian / Radio Basics /28/11/2008
A little bit of history
The first extended broadcast of the human voice was transmitted through the air on
December 24, 1906 from Brant Rock, Massachusetts by Reginald Fessenden, a Canadian
engineer
In 1930, the Galvin Corporation introduced one of the first commercial car radios, the Motorola
model 5T71.
In Germany Blaupunkt fitted their first radio to a Studebaker in 1932 and in the United
Kingdom Crossley offered a factory fitted wireless in their 10 hp models from 1933.
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Contents
A little bit of history
Entertainment Radio
(FM) Radio Data System
(FM) Radio Jobs
EON
AlternativeFreq
Radio
Noise Calculation Alghoritm
DAB
SDARS
Media Player
Brief
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FM (Frequency Modulation)/AM (Amplitude Modulation)
Signal Modulation AM
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Signal Modulation FM
Animation
Fm Radio(Radio Station Reception quality definition)
Distance between broadcast and reception unit
The radio signal strength is directly link to the distance
between the broadcast station site and the reception unit.
In case of mobile reception, the reception quality is improve when the
distance become shorter and worst when the distance is increase.
Obstacle stands in the way.
The radio signal strength is reduced in case of an obstacle stands in
the way of the wave. E.g: trees, Buildings, Hills, Mountains, Tunnel...
In case of mobile reception, the reception quality is decrease when the
reception unit move into a reception shadow area due to an obstacle.
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Mariniuc Emilian / Radio Basics /28/11/2008
Fm Radio(Radio Station Reception-Field strength)
It is the amplitude of the received radio station signal carrier
The signal strength is directly influenced by :
The broadcast Station Characteristic
The broadcast signal propagation
Broadcast station and the reception unit localisation
Reception Unit Performance
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FM Radio - Algorithm for calculating noise
Algorithm for calculating noise within one quarter of the band
Assumption for a working noise calculation is a linear band scan process.
The algorithm measures the difference between the field strength of two adjacent frequencies.
The result of this difference is limited by the parameter TUNNEL_FS_DIFF_LIMIT (default
15). The absolute value of this result is added to a sum only if the sign of the result has
changed since the last calculation.
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Mariniuc Emilian / Radio Basics /28/11/2008
FM Radio - Algorithm for calculating noise
int diff_sum = 0; //summed differences of FS within one band quarter
int sign_fs_diff = 0; //1 for positive, 2 for negative
for (trans_index = first_trans_in_quarter+1; trans_index <= last_trans_in_quarter; trans_index++)
{
int diff_fs =0;
if (get_fs(trans_index) > get_fs(trans_index-1))
{
if (sign_fs_diff != 1)
{
sign_fs_diff =1;
diff_fs = get_fs(trans_index) - get_fs(trans_index - 1);
}
}else if (get_fs(trans_index - 1) > get_fs(trans_index))
{
if(sign_fs_diff != 2)
{
sign_fs_diff = 2;
diff_fs = get_fs(trans_index -1) - get_fs(trans_index);
}
}else
{
sign_fs_diff = 0;
diff_fs = 0;
} if (diff_fs > TUNNEL_FS_DIFF_LIMIT)
{
diff_fs = TUNNEL_FS_DIFF_LIMIT;
} diff_sum = diff_sum + diff_fs;
}
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(RDS) Radio Data System
1 RDS Group = 4 Blocks = 104 Bits
Block A
Block B
Block C
Block D
Data Check
16B 10B
The RDS group consists of 4 data blocks
Each block comprises an information word and a check word
Each information word comprises 16 bits
Each check word comprises 10 bits
Blocks are transmitted in the following order A, B, C and D
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RDS (Radio Data System)
Block A
Block D
Block D
Block D
Data Check
16B 10B
PI CODE
Group Type/Version/....
The first four bits of specifies the application of the group
Groups are referred as types from 0 to 15
For each group two versions are possible
The version is specified in the fifth bit
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Mariniuc Emilian / Radio Basics /28/11/2008
RDS (Radio Data System)
Program Identification [PI]
106.5 MHz
TP
Europa Fm
News
9:45
Program Service Name [PS]
Program Type [PTY]
Traffic Announcement [TA]
Clock time [CT]
Music/Speech [M/S]
Radio Text [RT]
Traffic Message Channel [TMC]
Alternate Frequency [AF]
Extended Other Network [EON]
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RDS (Radio Data System)-Station Identification
PI CODE(16bits)
A
6
2
9
2
C
8
E
Coverage Area
Country Code
F E
9
C
F
8
3
6 D
2
6
F 4
A B5
E
5
FD
8
1
7
b15
b11
b7
0 : Local
1 : International
3
2 : National
3 : Supra Regional
4:
..
F:
PI Code is the unique code that identifies the station.
Every station receives a specific code with a country prefix.
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Reference Number

Regional
b0
F098
7112
C203,F201
D311,6321
C421,D4A2
FE46,
RDS (Radio Data System)- Program Service Name
Allows user to identify the tuned station. It is a 8 characters string defined by the broadcast
radio station.
Normally, it is used for :
 Display the Name of the currently listen to station .
 Access to next/previous station by alphabetical name order.
 Create Stations list sorted by alphabetical order.
98.8 , PI :
89.1 , PI :
91.3 , PI :
93.5 , PI :
94.9 , PI :
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C201 ,
C202 ,
C203 ,
C204 ,
C411 ,
PTY : 10 ,
PTY : 9 ,
PTY : 14 ,
PTY : 1 ,
PTY : 12 ,
PS : “BBC R1 “
PS : “BBC R2 “
PS : “BBC R3 “
PS : “BBC R4 “
PS : “BBC GLR”
RDS (Radio Data System)- Alternative Frequency (AF)
Alternative Frequency (AF) This feature, an automatic tuning to the best received frequency feature.
91.7 , PI : F203 , PS
“MUSIQUE “
99.4
92.0
92.9
91.7
89.2
89.7
93.8
90.7
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Surrounding
frequencies
92.0Mhz
97.1Mhz
90.7Mhz
93.8Mhz
89.2Mhz
92.9Mhz
99.4Mhz
91.5Mhz
91.9Mhz
93.0Mhz
AF1 / AF2
Length
91.7
92.0
90.7
93.8
89.2
92.9
99.4
91.5
91.9
93.0
97.1
Length 91.7
RDS (Radio Data System)- Radio Data 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.
EuropaFM...106,5...
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RDS (Radio Data System)-EON(Enhanced Other Networks )
This function allows to transmit data of another radio. If this function is used and activated
the receiver can commute temporarily to receive data on the road traffic for example and
return automatically to the originated radio at the end diffusion of these data. This function
uses the group 14A.
BBC R1
BBC R2
PI : C202
PS " BBC R2 "
TP 0 TA 1 PTY 9
AF List [...]
PI : C201
PS " BBC R1 "
TP 0 TA 1 BBC
PTY 9R4
AF List [...]
PI : C204
PS " BBC R4 "
TP 0 TA 1 BBC
PTY 24R3
AF List PI
[...]: C203
PS " BBC R3 "
TP 0 TA BBC
1 PTYGLR
24
AF ListPI[...]
: C411
PS " BBC GLR "
TP 1 TA 0 PTY 10
AF List [...]
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• EON-PI
• EON-PS
• EON-TP
• EON-TA
• EON-AF
• EON-PTY
DAB (Digital Audio Broadcast)-DAB and FM/AM compared
Fm: different frequencies, large
spectrum, few stations
Dab: multiple audio streams onto
a single broadcast frequency called
a DAB ensemble
The original objectives of converting to digital transmission were to enable higher
fidelity, more stations and more resistance to noise
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DAB (Digital Audio Broadcast)
DAB radios automatically tune to all the available stations, offering a list of all stations.
Using Band III and L-Band Transmitters
One Ensemble can carry more services (audio and data)
Primary audio service can carry secondary service.
Audio quality depending on used Codec
"Gleichwellen betrieb" – 2 Transmitter with same ensemble can operate on same frequency –
improved quality
No FM-like Follow-me within one ensemble
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Mariniuc Emilian / Radio Basics /28/11/2008
DAB (Digital Audio Broadcast)-Germany
Since over 10 years in Germany but not very successful
In Hessen only 4 programs (DRadio, DLF, Harmony (mono), HR-Info (low bit-rate), Planet
(mono)
Many stations using channel 12A-F have only reduced power (1 kW), because of neighbor
channels used by Bundeswehr.
In other countries (UK) are more DAB stations available.
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Mariniuc Emilian / Radio Basics /28/11/2008
Satellite Radio Technology
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Mariniuc Emilian / Radio Basics /28/11/2008
SDARS (Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service) -Technology
Two providers for SDARS Radio in U.S.A: XM & Sirius
XM: two high-powered satellites in geostationary orbit above the equator in addition to a
network of ground-based repeaters
Currently, its three satellites fly in geosynchronous highly elliptical orbit (Tundra orbit) in a 24hour orbital period
On February 19, 2007, XM announced a merger deal with Sirius Satellite Radio. The merger
combined the two radio services and created a single Satellite Radio network in the United
States and Canada.
Receiver: At the heart of a Sirius receiver is a custom application specific integrated circuit
(ASIC) chip called the Baseband Integrated Circuit currently the STA240, which is produced
by STMicroelectronics
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SDARS - Satellite Radio - Technology
Programming: over 100 channel
Over 40 channels commercial free music
Over 50 channels news, personality, specialty, premier sports, talk radio, comedy,
children's and entertainment programming
Major metropolitan traffic information and weather forecast
Rear Seat Mobile Video (Sirius)
Service First Launched – 2001
Both are Subscription based service: ~ $12.95 / month
U.S. continental coverage including Canada
Over 8,250,000 XM and 7,900,000 Sirius subscribers as today
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Media Player
iPod, USB Stick ...
Radio
Navigation
Mobile phone connectivity
Audio
Player
Video
Player
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Media Player Concept
The MediaPlayer allows playback of compressed audio files (MP3, WMA), audio CDs (CD-DA)
and content from connected media devices (iPod, Zune, MTP (Media Transport Protocol), ...)
The MediaPlayer provides possibilities to access media content either by file system structure
or by metadata (genre, album, artist, ...)
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Brief
If you have to describe this presentation in one word, what would that word be?
Radio
Which is the protocol used for decoding FM radio signal?
RDS
Can you name a difference between DAB, FM and SDARS?
Fm-analog signal, DAB- digital, SDARS Satellite Radio
Name two devices that can be played by media player.
Ipod, Zune
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References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_audio_broadcast
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBOC
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SDARS
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The End .
Thank you for your attention...
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