VLC: Visible Light Communications. Design and Implementation of Communication System Prototypes with Illumination LEDs

This project addresses the development of Visible Light Communication (VLC) systems by leveraging the growing LED lighting infrastructure for data transmission, aiming to mitigate radio frequency spectrum saturation. The main challenge lies in overcoming the limited bandwidth of commercial LEDs, exacerbated by the phosphor layer, and managing optical interference. The methodology involves experimental characterization of LEDs in terms of optical power and bandwidth, necessitating the design and characterization of controller (driver) and receiver PCB boards. Advanced modulation formats such as OOK (On-Off-Keying) with equalization and DMT (Discrete Multi-Tone) will be explored and simulated. Furthermore, the implementation of MIMO systems will be investigated if resources allow. The final expected outcome is the implementation of one of these solutions in digital hardware (real-time) within a test-bench environment using FPGAs, in order to validate the concept and generate high-impact scientific publications.<br/><br/><b>Goal</b>: <br/>The main objective of the VLC project is to achieve correct information transmission at an adequate speed using visible light LED sources intended for illumination. The goal is to implement a real-time transmitter/receiver prototype using an FPGA to reach a standard communication speed.<br/><br/><b>Research lines</b>: <br/>Telecommunications and information technologies