International Journal of Electrical, Electronics and Data Communication, ISSN(p): 2320-2084, ISSN(e): 2321-2950

Volume-6, Issue-6, Jun.-2018, http://iraj.in

SERIAL AND PARALLEL DATA TRANSMISSION THROUGH LI-FI
1
ASIF JILANI SHEIKH, 2VIJAYASHREE KUDUPUDI, 3ASEEM SAYYED, 4ASHWINI DESHMUKH,
5
UDAY MITHAPELLI
1,2,3,4,5
Department of Electronics and Telecommunication, KJ’s Trinity College of Engineering and Research, Pune, India
E-mail: 1asifjilani1995@gmail.com, 2vijayshreerao96@gmail.com, 3aseem.sayyed21@gmail.com,
4
ashwinideshmukh1991@gmail.com, 5udaymit88@gmail.com

Abstract - Light Fidelity (Li-Fi) is a new technology which focuses on communication by utilizing the visible light
spectrum. Li-Fi basically uses already available light sources like LED to transmit data, by blinking the LED. These changes
in the intensity of light are detected by a photodetector device which receives the data. Thus, illumination and
communication are achieved simultaneously. This paper presents a way for Serial and Parallel Communication of data
though Li-Fi. The text is transmitted serially by using a single LED and phototransistor. For parallel transmission, the
number of LED and phototransistor is increased. The system realized in this paper utilizes MATLAB(R2017b), Arduino
Uno, White LED for transmission of the text. At the receiver side, a phototransistor which is sensitive to visible light is used
along with Arduino Uno, MATLAB to complete the reception of the text. Li-Fi offers a completely new method of
communication, which has a potential to increase the speed of communication drastically.

Keywords - Li-Fi, Visible Light Spectrum, LED, Photodetector (L14G2), Serial Transmission, Parallel Transmission,
Arduino Uno, MATLAB(R2017b).

I. INTRODUCTION to low interference, high device bandwidths, andhigh-

Radio or Microwave frequencies are mostly used for
wireless communication systems. Wi-Fi hotspots are
increasing day by day. All of these systems are
dependent on RF spectrum for operation[1]. RF
spectrum is expensive, limited and a certain
range.The number of mobile phone subscriber has
increased at an unprecedented rate in recent years.
Such an increase in the number of users, there is a
crunch on the existing RF spectrum, thus affecting
the capacity of the electromagnetic spectrum[2].
Light Fidelity (Li-Fi), is a new technology that can be
used as an alternative to Wi-Fi. As the network is
growing continuously, congestion is also
increasing.These reasons make it necessary to work
on a new technology which can provide service to
millions of users, without having to worry about
capacity limitation. Li-Fi as a term was coined in
2011 by Professor Harald Hass, during his TED
global talk event[3].
Li-Fi is a type of Visible Light Communication
(VLC). VLC itself is a category of Optical Wireless
Communication (OWC).These techniques facilitate
the communication, by modulating light in the visible
spectrum, which is primarily used for illumination
purposes[4].This makes Li-Fi unique, as same light is
used for communication and illumination purpose.
Thus Li-Fi can also be stated as “data through
illumination”. Visible spectrum occupies the
frequency band in between 430THz to 770THz,
which is about 400 times greater than Radio
Frequency band (1Hz to 3THz)[5]. Thus, a much
higher data rate can be achieved using VLC.
Li-Fi technology offers some advantages like it does
not need any RF base stations, but it can act as a
single access point and primarily requiring unlicensed
services[6]. Very high data rates can be achieved due
intensity optical output. Moreover, it is a safe
technology and non-hazardous which can even be
employed in riverbeds and is cost effective. These
pros of Li-Fi outshine it from other technologies[7].
This paper is presented in such a way, which covers
the basics of Li-Fi and gives an idea of the system
implemented for achieving Serial and Parallel
transmission. Section I gives an introduction to a
reader about the fundamental idea behind Li-Fi.
Section II shows the principle of operation. Section
III gives a brief idea about the components used in
the system. Section IV explains the algorithm and
flowchart of the operation of the system. Section V
discusses the results obtained.
II. WORKING OF LI-FI
The principle of operation of Li-Fi is simple but
powerful. By modulating the intensity of light, the
data can be transmitted using Li-Fi. Light emitting
diodes (LEDs) are used as a light source for
transmission as well as illumination in Li-Fi.
Figure 1: Li-Fi Operation
LEDs are more efficient and less costly than
traditional fluorescent bulbs, making them a good

Serial and Parallel Data Transmission through Li-Fi

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 International Journal of Electrical, Electronics and Data Communication, ISSN(p): 2320-2084, ISSN(e): 2321-2950
Volume-6, Issue-6, Jun.-2018, http://iraj.in
light source for use in Li-Fi. LEDs can blink at a
much higher rate than human eyes can perceive,
which gives them another advantage for use as a light
source in Li-Fi. A constant current applied to an LED
bulb results in the emission of photons, which is
perceived as illumination by a human eye. The
intensity of this light can be modulated for
transmission of data. This intensity modulation is
detected by a photodetector device such as a
phototransistor, photodiode, etc. The light signal is
then demodulated into electronic form and original
data is recovered.
III. SYSTEM MODEL
The basic system model consists of MATLAB,
Arduino, LED, Photo-Transistor.
Figure 2: Block diagram of Proposed Li-Fi System
A. Li-Fi Transmitter
The transmission is done by using MATLAB
(2017b), Arduino Uno and LED. Ourchannel for
transmission ofdata is visible light. The data
transmission is performed using the serial
transmission technique and parallel transmission
technique. We have implemented a transmission of
text and image from one PC to another PC. For the
processing and manipulation of the Data (text or
image) MATLAB software is used. Here the data is
changed to binary by using inbuilt MATLAB
commands and then forwarded bit by bit to Arduino
Uno board. The output of PC is given to the Arduino
Uno which acts as target hardware and it further
transmits the data using LED. Arduinooperates the
LED as per the Input from MATLAB. There is an
appropriate delay between two consecutive bits,
which helps to reduce the bit error and reconstruction
of data. When the data received from MATLAB is 1,
LED turns ON for a particular time and transmitted
and if the 0 is received from MATLAB, LED turns
OFF for a particular time and data transmission takes
place. A brief description of components used in
transmitter section is given below.
Serial and Parallel Data Transmission through Li-Fi
43
1) MATLAB: MATLAB (matrix laboratory) is a
proprietary programming language developed by
MathWorks. MATLAB allows matrix manipulations,
plotting of functions and data, implementation of
algorithms, the creation of user interfaces, and
interfacing with programs written in other languages,
including C, C++, C#, Java, Fortran, and Python. We
are using MATLAB (version 2017b) for conversion
of data into binary format. It also provides a support
package for Arduino Uno which is essential for
moving data from PC to Arduino hardware[8].
2) Arduino Uno: Arduino UNO board is an open-
source electronics platform based on the
ATmega328P microcontroller and developed by
Arduino.cc. The board is equipped with sets of digital
and analog input/output (I/O) pins that may be
interfaced to various expansion boards (shields) and
other circuits. It is programmable with the Arduino
IDE (Integrated Development Environment) via a
type B USB cable[9].
3) LED: The most important requirement of the LED
is its ability to turn ON and OFF in very short
intervals (in ns range). So, we use LEDs which have
very low switching time. These LEDs turn ON and
OFF in Nanosecond based on the Pulse signal. Since,
the switching taking at a faster rate, it cannot be
detected by Human eye. So, it will appear as
illuminating even though they are blinking. Thus, the
modulated data is transmitted to the receiver via
Visible Light.
B. Li-Fi Receiver
At the receiver, a phototransistor is used for detecting
the light signal. The phototransistor component is
highly sensitive to light. It detects the intensity of
light as per light intensity and a particular voltage is
read by Arduino pin. Now this voltage is given to
MATLAB and with the help of this voltage the bits
are retrieved andregrouped for reconstruction of the
transmitted data. We have used phototransistor
L14G2 for this purpose. It can sense wavelength upto
940nm[10].
IV. ALGORITHM AND FLOWCHART
Algorithm for transmitter code is given as follows:
1. Start.
2. Enter the text to be transmitted.
3. Conver the entered data into binary format.
4. Transmit Start bits.
5. Read the data.
6. If 1 is detected turn ON LED.
7. If 0 is detected turn OFF LED.
8. Transmit Stop bits.
Above algorithm can also be explained with help of a
flowchart. The flowchart is shown in the figure3
below:
 International Journal of Electrical, Electronics and Data Communication, ISSN(p): 2320-2084, ISSN(e): 2321-2950
Volume-6, Issue-6, Jun.-2018, http://iraj.in

Figure 4: Flowchart of Receiver Code

V. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Figure 3: Flowchart of Transmitter Code We have implemented transmission of text by serial

and parallel communication. The observations of
Similarly, an algorithm for Receiver code is given as implementation are discussed in this section.
follows: The waveforms of LED and phototransistor are
1. Start. observed on Digital Storage Oscilloscope. They are
2. Read the voltage sensed obtained at pin shown in figure :
connected to the phototransistor.
3. Check if Start bits are received.
4. Start the reception of bits.
5. Check if Stop bits are received.
6. Reconstruct the data to the original format.
7. Stop.

Flowchart for above algorithm is shown in figure 4. It

is clear, from the flowchart that the code is designed
to achieve synchronization between the transmitter
and receiver. Bit reception is started only when the
start bits are successfully received. Then after
successful reception of all bits, the data is
reconstructed in original form. Figure 5: Waveforms of LED and Phototransistor

Serial and Parallel Data Transmission through Li-Fi

44
 International Journal of Electrical, Electronics and Data Communication, ISSN(p): 2320-2084, ISSN(e): 2321-2950
Volume-6, Issue-6, Jun.-2018, http://iraj.in
In above figure, channel-1 shows the waveform of
LED at the time of transmission of data. Channel-2
shows the waveform of phototransistor L14G2 during
the reception.
A. Serial Text Transmission
For Serial transmission, single LED and
phototransistor are used. LED transmits the data bit
by bit which is received by the phototransistor and
processed for recovery.
Table 1 given below, lists the observation obtained at
the time of Serial transmission:
TABLE 1
Figure 6 shows the system setup for serial
transmission of text:
Figure 6: Serial Transmission of Text
B. Parallel Text Transmission
For implementing parallel transmission of text we
have two LEDs and two phototransistors for
transmission and reception. Table 2 shows the
observations obtained at the time of implementing
parallel transmission. It is observed that as the
distance between the LED and phototransistor is
increased there is difficulty in the proper
reconstruction of data.
TABLE 2
Serial and Parallel Data Transmission through Li-Fi
45
Figure 7 shows the system setup of parallel
transmission.
Figure 7: Parallel Transmission of Text
CONCLUSION
We have successfully implemented a Li-Fi system
capable of transmitting data through visible light.
Data transmission by serial is successful with no bit
errors. In case of parallel, the error is increased as the
distance is increased. A drawback of this system is
that the receiver must be in the line of sight for
successful retrieval of bits. The bit rate of the system
can be increased by varying the intensity of LED by
using PWM. Also, selection of phototransistor
sensitive to a visible light wavelength is crucial for
this system.
FUTURE SCOPE
Li-Fi technology has tremendous potential for future
applications.As per new research report by Global
Market Insights.inc, Li-Fi Market size is anticipated
to reach USD 75.5 billion by 2023. The system
discussed in this paper can further be improved to
increase the data rate and distance of transmission.
By increasing the number of LED’s, the speed of
parallel transmission can be increased. As LED’s are
used in the system, the cost of installation is low.
Also, LED’s are easily available in the market. Each
LED can be used to create a Li-Fi hotspot just like
Wi-Fi. Smart home applications are being researched
where Li-Fi can act as an access point for data
connectivity. Smartphones can be further integrated
with Li-Fi for high-speed connectivity.
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 International Journal of Electrical, Electronics and Data Communication, ISSN(p): 2320-2084, ISSN(e): 2321-2950
Volume-6, Issue-6, Jun.-2018, http://iraj.in
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