In-Vehicle Visible Light Communications Data Transmission System Using Optical Fiber Distributed Light: Implementation and Experimental Evaluation

Beguni, Cătălin; Căilean, Alin-Mihai; Avătămăniței, Sebastian-Andrei; Zadobrischi, Eduard; Stoler, Raul; Dimian, Mihai; Popa, Valentin; Béchadergue, Bastien; Chassagne, Luc · 2022 · Crossref

DOI: 10.3390/s22186738

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Summary

This paper presents the design, implementation, and experimental evaluation of a novel in-vehicle Visible Light Communications (VLC) system that utilizes optical fiber-distributed ambient lighting for data transmission. The research addresses the need for reliable, high-data-rate wireless connectivity for vehicle occupants, particularly in scenarios where Radio Frequency (RF) signals may be compromised, such as in tunnels or during traffic congestion. The primary motivation is to leverage existing automotive ambient lighting infrastructure—specifically decorative optical fiber systems—to provide dual-purpose lighting and communication without interfering with the primary aesthetic function or inducing perceptible flickering. The proposed system consists of a VLC emitter integrated into the vehicle’s ceiling and a mobile VLC receiver. The emitter uses a single 3 W RGB LED coupled to 500 optical fibers, which distribute light across a 2 square meter surface. Data processing is handled by a 1008 MHz ARM Cortex M7 microcontroller, which employs On-Off Keying (OOK) modulation and Manchester coding to ensure constant light intensity and prevent flicker. The receiver utilizes a PIN photodiode (PDA100A2) with an IR reject filter to eliminate sunlight noise, followed by amplification, band-pass filtering (1 kHz–1 MHz), and automatic gain control. The receiver also uses an ARM Cortex M7 microcontroller for real-time data processing and Bit Error Rate (BER) calculation. Experimental evaluation focused on coupling efficiency and signal performance. Measurements revealed significant coupling losses, with only 12% of the LED’s total power transmitted through the optical fibers, resulting in an irradiance of 120 µW/cm² at the fiber output. Despite these losses, the system demonstrated viable communication performance. In relevant working conditions within the vehicle, the prototype achieved a data rate of 250 kb/s with a BER lower than 10⁻⁷. The study also included theoretical analysis of the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) based on the geometric distribution of the fiber emitters and receiver characteristics. The significance of this work lies in its introduction of a new utilization area for VLC technology: using optical fiber-distributed light for data transmission. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported implementation of a VLC system where visible light carrying data is guided by optical fibers before entering free space. The results confirm that car ambient lighting systems can successfully support optical wireless communications, offering a safe, energy-efficient, and RF-free alternative for in-vehicle connectivity. This approach opens new possibilities for integrating communication capabilities into decorative automotive features without additional power consumption or hardware complexity.

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• v2x connected vehicle