Modulation bandwidth enhancement of white-LED-based visible light communications using electrical equalizations

Abstract

Utilizing the modulation capability of LEDs, there have been many studies about convergence technology to combine illumination and communication. The visible light communication (VLC) system has several advantages such as high security, immunity to RF interference and lower additional cost than comparing to LEDs just for illumination. However, modulation bandwidth of LEDs is not enough for various wireless communication systems. Since the commercial LEDs are designed only for lighting systems; we need an effort to enhance the modulation characteristics of LEDs. When the area of LED is increased, internal junction capacitance of LED is also increased depending on the area of LEDs and then the RC delay time of LED is increased. As a result, the modulation bandwidth of LEDs is limited by large RC delay time. In addition, frequency response of commercial white LED is degraded by the slow response time of the used yellow phosphor. Thus, modulation bandwidth of VLC system is limited to several MHz which is not enough to accommodate high data rate transmission. In this paper, we designed equalization circuit using RLC component for compensating the white LEDs frequency response. Also, we used blue filtering to improve frequency response of white LEDs, which is degraded by yellow phosphorescent component. Power loss by optical filtering and distance is compensated by convex lens. Consequently, we extend the modulation bandwidth of VLC system from 3 MHz to more than 180 MHz, and it allows NRZ-OOK data transmission up to 400 Mbps at 50 cm.