Devices and Navigation Programs
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An RDS-TMC receiver is in effect a special FM radio tuner that can decode TMC data. Satellite TMC receivers utilize a dedicated data channel that is broadcast as part of the much larger broadcast digital audio channels. TMC decoding is carried out by matching event and location codes against look-up tables of phrases and locations that can be translated into audio or displayed on a Sat nav device. The look-up tables must be implemented in a service-specific database mapped to geographic routes and intersections. As with the navigation systems themselves, periodic upgrades are needed as the road system changes. These steps provide opportunities for vendors to generate revenue from users who cannot use the system unless they have the latest lookup tables.
The technical concepts of RDS-TMC started to be developed about 30 years ago, initially by Blaupunkt and Philips. With European Commission funding, the BBC, Transport Research Laboratory and CCETT came together in a team led by Castle Rock Consultants to develop the standard. More recently, dedicated navigation device (PND) has emerged as an alternative way of delivering traffic information via mobile phones and hand-held PDAs with GPS.
Nevertheless, automobile companies continue to roll out RDS-TMC launches in various countries across the world. One reason is that the use of cellular phones and PDAs by drivers is attracting a great deal of legislative attention concerned about driver distraction. Like car radios, in-vehicle navigation systems have not so far attracted the same concerns, and may continue to outsell handheld solutions, just as luxury car radios eventually outsold pocket transistor radios in the 20th century.
The reality is that both types of services have their place, with no single solution having all the answers. Higher-end models of Personal Navigation Assistant come with a TMC receiver built-in and depending on the country, the service is available in Eclipse, Garmin, iPhone (Navigon), Navman, Navway, Mio, Pioneer, TomTom and Uniden navigation systems, and in Volvo, BMW and Ford Falcon navigation systems, among many others.
There are also TMC adapters, which extends mobile navigation systems with integrated GPS receiver (as mobile phones/PDAs with GPS) with TMC functionality. They can include a bluetooth or non-bluetooth (mainly, USB) connection. With help of the adapter, the received traffic messages are through-handed to the navigation software, these can again compute an alternative route with consideration of the new traffic conditions and avoid the traffic jam. The adaptors generally includes connector for FM/TMC Antenna (2,5mm phone jack or MCX jack 50 Ohm). Some examples of compatible navigation programs are AvMap, Destinator PN, Falk Navigator TMC Edition (special version for MyGuide Navigator 6500XL TMC Bundle), GoPal, iGO, Mireo, Navigon MN5, Route 66, and Sygic.
Simple RDS-TMC Decoder is a simple RDS (Radio Data System) decoder written for TMC analysis.
Read more about this topic: Traffic Message Channel
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