The DAB Technology
So who invented DAB?
DAB digital radio (Digital Audio Broadcasting) has been under development since 1981 at the Institut f?rRundfunktechnik (IRT) and since 1987 as part of a European research project (Eureka 147). Broadcasters, researchinstitutes, network providers/operators and consumer electronics firms have contributed. The BBC pioneered DABdigital radio and was the first broadcaster in the UK to build a transmission network andstart broadcasting DAB in 1995.
So how does DAB technology work?
DAB radio works by utilising both MPEG and COFDM (Coded Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex) technology whichconverts the music or speech from analogue signal into digital (binary) code. This vastly reduces the potentialfor the broadcast to be corrupted during transmission by weather conditions, and other problems that can degradethe quality of reception.
So how is DAB different from FM?
The 'multipath' interference which disturbs FM reception (caused by radio signals bouncing off buildings and hills)is eliminated in DAB. Digital radio sets have processors which filter out interference and correct signal errors.Digital radio is designed to use 'multipath' to its advantage. DAB technology allows the receiver to combinedelayed signals, making for a more robust reception overall.