Research Information System
Acta Polytechnica Hungarica, vol.22, no.9, pp.95-119, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Visible Light Communication (VLC) is a prominent technology for simultaneous illumination and data transmission using Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). While recent studies have predominantly focused on enhancing communication speed, the impact of various hardware, software, and environmental parameters on the communication efficacy, particularly for systems adhering to specific physical layer standards, has not been exhaustively investigated. This study presents the design and systematic performance evaluation of a visible light communication system engineered to operate according to Layer 1 (PHY I) of the IEEE 802.15.7-2011 standard. The system, based on an embedded Linux platform, utilizes an LED at the transmitter and a photodiode at the receiver, with higher-layer communication functions, managed by software. Performance is rigorously evaluated by varying parameters including ambient lighting conditions, transmission distance, data packet repeat times (a software-configurable parameter influencing transmission frequency), payload size, the use of different optical filters (UV, Polarizer, Neutral-Density), and distinct LED types (low-power vs. high-power). A key finding is the significant data communication improvement achieved through the application of a Neutral-Density (ND) filter, which effectively reduces the negative impact of light interference. The study further incorporates sensitivity and robustness analyses to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the system's operational characteristics. The results offer valuable insights for the practical design and optimization of PHY-I compliant VLC systems.