Experimental study on the transmission performance of an ultraviolet and visible light communication system under an artificial fog channel.

Abstract

In this work, the visible light communication (VLC) and deep ultraviolet light communication (DUVLC) systems under an artificial fog channel are established, into which a fog channel simulator based on an acrylic box connected to a fog generator through a pipe is introduced. The VLC and DUVLC systems are based on line-of-sight (LOS) channel and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) channel with a large receiving angle about 90°, respectively. Under the influence of fog concentration, the transmission performance of the VLC and DUVLC systems is further analyzed and compared, including path loss, received signal quality and bit error rate (BER). Both VLC and DUVLC links were applied, and the BER of the integrated system was experimentally collected. The results show that the lower the fog concentration, the better the transmission performance of the VLC system, while the transmission performance of the DUVLC system is worse. Furthermore, the transmission distance and received angle should be considered for the NLOS-based DUVLC system, which can achieve communication at a distance of 10 cm and a receiving angle of 100° under the influence of dense fog. Moreover, the two links, DUVLC and VLC, are simultaneously applied for information transmission, which verifies that the dual-band integrated system can be well adapted to a fog environment. This study not only provides experimental support for the application of the VLC and DUVLC composite system but also demonstrates the possibility of applying the dual-band system in fog environments to a variety of complex outdoor scenarios.