RDS-TMC - How it Works

In an Australian first Suna Traffic Channel is offering a real-time traffic feed using RDS-TMC.  Suna Traffic Channel is engineered ready to plug into any TMC-compliant navigation system.

Traffic data is most useful in combination with navigation services (or related technologies like mapping and logistics engines), so Suna Traffic Channel is designed as an ingredient for best of breed 3rd party applications.

Standards Compliance

The Suna Traffic Channel service is compliant with ISO Standard 14819; also know as ‘RDS-TMC’.  The following components of the 148109 standards family have been adopted:

It is intended to support relevant recommendations of the TMC forum in relation to additions and modification to the standard over time.

The Suna Traffic Channel service is operated by Intelematics Australia pursuant to an accredited quality management process, compliant with ISO Standard 9001:2001.

Suna Traffic Channel Broadcast Data Structure

Information about the location and cause of the incident is provided in ALERT-C using the ALERT-C Coding protocol as defined in EN ISO 14819.

The Alert-C code itself is a hexadecimal value made up of the following fields:

Receiver Compatibility

To minimise or eliminate receiver localisation requirements, the Suna Traffic Channel service is technically aligned with the UK i-TMC service, operated by ITIS Holdings Plc.  To the extent that is practical, coding and transmission standards are aligned to the UK service.  Minor variations relate to local conditions and content. 

The Australian Suna Traffic Channel service will use encryption, known as Conditional Access within TMC, for the commercial service.  This will be implemented in accordance with the TMC standard 14819-6.

Suna Traffic Channel supports multipart messages.

Language

Suna Traffic Channel RDS-TMC broadcasts are language independent.

At this point there is no Australian English TMC dictionary for use in TMC receivers.  There are minor differences in Australian dialect vis-à-vis current RDS-TMC English dictionaries.  Pending standardisations of an Australian dictionary by the TMC forum, it is recommended that receivers support decoding of messages on the CEN-English text (see CEN ENV 13106:2000 Traffic and Travel Data Dictionary – Part 1).

Units of Measurement

Suna Traffic Channel RDS-TMC broadcasts are unit-independent.

Australia has adopted the metric system of measurement (meters, kilometres), hence receivers should support decoding of messages in metric units.

Service Content

Suna is committed to ensuring that high quality traffic data is made available to motorists through the RDS-TMC broadcast.

Broadcast Characteristics

Notes

Broadcast characteristics are subject to modification & extension over time.
Support for future Consortium Location Table versions will be periodically implemented.

To download this information as a PDF, click here.

 

 

 

Sydney	4,250,100
Melbourne	3,610,800
Brisbane	1,547,700
Perth	1,375,200
Adelaide	1,087,600
Newcastle	500,000
Gold Coast	439,200
Canberra	327,700
Hobart	189,400
Darwin	96,200
	13,423,900
Total Aust Pop	20,000,000
	Road Kms
Australia	1,077,295
Germany	1,064,190
France	1,243,139
Melbourne is twice the geographic area of Paris but has half the population, and therefore only a quarter of the population density.