Name: Jatin Garg

Enrollment No.: 40711502818

Branch: ECE-2

Visible Light Communication (VLC)

 Introduction
Visible light communication (VLC) is a wireless method that enables high-speed
transmission of data with visible light. This data is transmitted by modulating the intensity of
light given off by a light source. The signal is received by a photodiode device that
transforms the data into forms that are readable and readily-consumed by end users.

Visible light communication (VLC) is a data communications variant which uses visible light
between 400 and 800 THz (780–375 nm). VLC is a subset of optical wireless
communications technologies.

The technology uses fluorescent lamps (ordinary lamps, not special communications devices)
to transmit signals at 10 kbit/s, or LEDs for up to 500 Mbit/s over short distances. Systems
such as RONJA can transmit at full Ethernet speed (10 Mbit/s) over distances of 1–2
kilometres (0.6–1.2 mi).

Specially designed electronic devices generally containing a photodiode receive signals from
light sources,[1] although in some cases a cell phone camera or a digital camera will be
sufficient.[2] The image sensor used in these devices is in fact an array of photodiodes (pixels)
and in some applications its use may be preferred over a single photodiode. Such a sensor
may provide either multi-channel (down to 1 pixel = 1 channel) or a spatial awareness of
multiple light sources.

VLC can be used as a communications medium for ubiquitous computing, because light-
producing devices (such as indoor/outdoor lamps, TVs, traffic signs, commercial displays and
car headlights/taillights) are used everywhere.

 The architecture of VLC Systems

There two integral parts to VLC systems: the transmitter and the receiver. These parts consist
of three common layers: the physical layer, the MAC layer, and the application layer. For the
purposes of this discussion, only two layers will be discussed for the sake of simplicity.

Transmitter

VLC transmitters basically mean the source of the light. The evolution of LED lighting
makes this technology possible and has made solid-state lighting – lighting that does not use
electric filaments, plasma, or gas. That is because LEDs far surpass incandescent and
fluorescent light sources in terms of reliability, power requirement, and luminous efficiency.
The efficiency of LEDs, as well as the white light they emit and wavelength converters, make
LEDs the best choice for a VLC light source.

There are many different spectra in which white light is produced by LED light. The most
commonly used method for producing white light is trichromatic (red, green, and blue), more
commonly known as RGB. They are advantageous in that they are able to produce high
bandwidths, allowing higher data rates. They are, however, very complex and difficult to
modulate. Other methods for white light generation are dichromatic (blue and yellow) and
tetra-chromatic (blue, cyan, green, and red).

Receiver

Receivers for VLC systems generally consist of an optical filter, optical concentrators, and an
amplification circuit. Light is emitted from the VCL transmitter in order to give transmit data.
However, this light is generally weak due to beam divergence because LEDs generally
illuminate large spaces. This weaker signal is picked up by the optical concentrator and
amplifies the signal. The signal is then detected and picked up by a photodiode, which is
converted into a photocurrent. Silicon photodiodes, PIN diodes, and avalanche photodiodes
are used for VLC systems.

VLC systems are vulnerable to interferences such as sunlight and other forms of illumination.
For this reason, optical filters are added in order to eliminate noise from the received signal.
And in the case of stationary receivers, photodiodes are employed. Imaging sensors are used
for cases where mobility is required (e.g. VLC systems in vehicles) because of the larger field
of view. These are, however, slow and energy-intensive. That is why it is necessary to have a
trade-off between cost, speed, and complexity when considering the use of either a
photodiode or an imaging sensor.

Physical Layer

The physical layer provides the physical specifications of the VLC device as well as the
relationship between the device and the medium used for data transfer. A summary of the
interactions that occur within the physical layer goes like this: input bits of the data stream
passes through a series of processes before it reaches the light source. This light source then
emits photons through an optical channel through light signals. These signals are received by
the photodiode device, which is demodulated and transcribed into output data.

MAC Layer

The Media Access Control (MAC) Layer is responsible for the transmission of the packets of
data received to and from the network. Its basic function is to provide a way for each node
within a network to communicate with other available nodes. In other words, the MAC Layer
points the packets of data towards the directions in which they need to go.

 Using Visible Light in Data Transmission

In the discussion of light, this usually means the entire electromagnetic spectrum, which
comprises everything from gamma rays to radio waves. Only a small portion of the entire
electromagnetic spectrum can be seen by the human eye, which is aptly called visible light.

The use of visible light in the transmission of data holds many different key advantages over
technologies that make use of radio frequency. Its biggest advantage is the size of the entire
visible light spectrum, which is 10,000 times larger than the entire radio spectrum, which is
also too congested due to its overuse. With mobile traffic expected to increase sevenfold by
the year 2021, the vast size of the visible light spectrum, which carries 300 THz of license-
free bandwidth carried on visible wavelengths, certainly makes VLC a viable option.

Aside from the size of the visible light spectrum, light travels 186,000 miles per second,
which is way faster than the 344 meters per second traveled by radio waves in air. This means
that communication using light is virtually instantaneous, which also makes VLC the fastest
means of communication among those commercially available in the market.

Data is transmitted in VLC systems by modulating light. At slow speeds, this will be seen as
a constant flickering of light, which breaks down data into a system of ones and zeroes that
will be converted into consumable data through a transceiver. However, the speed of data
transmission is highly dependent on the speed of the flickering. For this reason, light emitting
diodes (LED) are used as the primary light source in VLC systems. LED bulbs are
semiconductors, giving them the ability to handle ultra-fast modulation of light occurring at
speeds undetectable by the human eye.

 Characteristics of VLC

There are some characteristics that are unique to VLC. These characteristics include:

Signal confinement

The nature of light is that it is unable to pass through opaque walls. This makes it easy to
confine signals to within a single room, which increases the level of security of the network.

Non-line-of-sight

Many believe that because VLC systems use light, any blockage can severely hinder its
ability to transmit data. That is definitely not the case as it is not dependent on line of sight.
In fact, studies have shown that they can still perform in rooms that are severely obstructed.

Safe in hazardous environments

VLC can be used as a practical alternative for areas where RF signals are perceived as a
hazard. Aside from using non-RF technology to deliver data, the light source used in these
systems emit low energies, ensuring their safe use. These “hazardous” environments include
hospitals, airplanes, or mines.