hv
photonics
Communication
Real-Time Receive-Forward NLOS Visible Light
Communication System Based on Multiple Blue
Micro-LED Nodes
Yuan Zhang 1 , Zixian Wei 1 , Zhaoming Wang 1 and H. Y. Fu 1,2, *






Citation: Zhang, Y.; Wei, Z.; Wang, Z.;
Fu, H.Y. Real-Time Receive-Forward
NLOS Visible Light Communication
System Based on Multiple Blue
Micro-LED Nodes. Photonics 2022, 9,
211. https://doi.org/10.3390/
photonics9040211
Received: 2 March 2022
Accepted: 21 March 2022
Published: 23 March 2022
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Photonics 2022, 9, 211. https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9040211
1 Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute (TBSI),
Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China; zhangyua20@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn (Y.Z.);
weizx17@tsinghua.org.cn (Z.W.); wangzm19@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn (Z.W.)
2 Peng Cheng Laboratory (PCL), Shenzhen 518055, China
* Correspondence: hyfu@sz.tsinghua.edu.cn
Abstract: A significant challenge of visible-light communication systems (VLC) is to overcome
their limited converge area in non-line-of-sight (NLOS) transmission. To tackle this problem, for
the first time, a real-time high-speed dual-hop VLC system based on blue micro-light-emitting
diodes (micro-LED) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. Benefiting from the advantage of
high electrical-to-optical (E-O) bandwidth of the micro-LED, the frequency-response measurements
show that the 3-dB modulation bandwidth of 2 m free-space single-hop link is 880 MHz, and the
dual-hop system can reach to 715 MHz over a 4 m communication distance. We then investigated
the communication performance of our proposed single-hop and dual-hop systems. The real-time
waveforms are analyzed at different positions of the dual-hop link and eye diagrams at the receiving
terminal are captured for evaluation. Furthermore, the bit error rate (BER) at the target node is
measured. The results demonstrate that a 1.1 Gbps on-off keying (OOK) signal with a BER less than
the forward-error-correction (FEC) limit could be achieved over a 4 m NLOS free-space link. This
work shows that the proposed dual-hop system based on a micro-LED can meet the requirements for
most indoor NLOS-transmission scenarios.
Keywords: visible-light communication (VLC); micro-LED; dual-hop transmission; non-line-of-sight
(NLOS); receive-forward
1. Introduction
With the rapid deployment of the Internet of things (IoT) for smart cities and smart
homes, the next generation of wireless communication systems are expected to have the po-
tential to connect and support more devices, including computers, mobile phones, tablets,
high-definition (HD) cameras, virtual reality (VR), etc. Communications between a large
number of devices through traditional radio-frequency (RF) technology will cause serious
congestion and interference problems. Visible-light communication (VLC) is a promising
candidate to address the spectrum-scarcity issue, utilizing visible light as an information
carrier with high security and anti-electromagnetic-interference (EMI) characteristics, si-
multaneously [1–3]. With the advantages of rich bandwidth resources and low cost, indoor
VLC systems have great potential in solving the shortage of spectra and meeting the high
data-rate requirements of systems other than 5G. However, due to the inescapable prop-
erties of lightwave transmission, line-of-sight (LOS) VLC cannot penetrate objects. VLC
suffers from non-line-of-sight (NLOS) transmission constraints and a shadowing effect,
which cannot guarantee stable and continuous communication, especially for indoor sce-
narios with random moving obstacles. Therefore, many methods are proposed to tackle
this problem when the LOS link is not available.
Evolving from point-to-point VLC configuration, in order to improve the inherent
issues of limited transmission distance or the link barrier, the multihop framework in VLC
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/photonics
Photonics 2022, 9, 211 2 of 11

systems has aroused intense research interest recently. In relay systems, the introduction of
relay nodes provides more possibilities for optimizing the reliability of source-to-cell links.
The concepts of relaying communication that could use certain light-emitting diode (LED)
lamps as relays nodes were proposed and different indoor light sources can be deployed
as relay nodes, such as ceilings, desks, and floor lights [4–7]. Relays between multiple
VLC terminal nodes can effectively extend the transmission distance and reduce the de-
pendence of LOS links, which have been experimentally demonstrated with improved
performance [8]. The channel response of the VLC system with relay nodes based on an
amplification and forwarding (AF) strategy was analyzed, and the relay auxiliary strategy
in improving system reliability was simulated [9]. In addition, an experimental comparison
of single-channel and relay-based VLC-link performance proved that the relayed VLC
link can provide a higher data rate than the direct VLC link [10]. Until now, two types of
transmission protocols have been proposed in relay communication, including decode-
and-forward (DF) mode and AF mode [11]. Hyeong-ji Kim et al. proposed a multihop
VLC system for offshore applications to overcome the limited coverage distance [12]. Omer
Narmanlioglu et al. studied the performance of a full-duplex relay-auxiliary VLC system
and proved that the full-duplex relay is superior to the half-duplex relay [13]. Alice Faisal
et al. adopted a transmission-diversity scheme and showed that it can improve the signal-
to-noise ratio (SNR) and reduce outage probability [14]. Kuan Ye et al. investigated the
performance of dual-hop underwater optical wireless communication (UOWC) systems
with simultaneous lightwave information and power transmission, and numerical results
showed that using relay nodes can improve performance [15]. Overall, the relay schemes
can be divided into two types: passive relay and active relay. Passive relays currently have
some proposed solutions such as intelligent reflecting surfaces (IRS), different reflecting
materials, and concave mirrors. These works are mainly for beam forming and beam
steering of the emitting ray. Using a concave mirror cannot change the direction of the
beam very well, which is usually used to increase the intensity of the beam in point-to-point
channels. Another way, the active relay, we will mention below.
The above-mentioned works are all based on simulations without experimental re-
sults. In recent years, some experiments have been also carried out based on multihop
VLC. For example, the demonstration of a relay-assisted VLC system based on Multiband
carrierless amplitude and phase modulation (M-CAP) was carried out with a data rate
of 10 Mbps [10]. A bidirectional multihop VLC was used to monitor large-area indoor
fine particles. The distance between two nodes can reach 13.5 m but the data rate is only
115.2 Kbps with on-off keying (OOK) format, which is unsuitable in high-speed scenar-
ios [16]. Elizabeth Eso et al. proposed a relay-assisted vehicle-mounted VLC network
based on experimental measurements and presented the eye diagrams from 250 Kbps to
500 Kbps [17]. In addition, the performance of a multihop VLC system can be also tested
in a real outdoor environment; however, the work only gave the relationship between
the bit-error rate (BER) and average transmission power, which inadequately represents
real-time communication [18]. Nonetheless, relatively high-speed multihop experiments
are rarely reported. For example, a channel-aware adaptive physical-layer network-coding
scheme based on adaptive-loading orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM)
was proposed, which can double the throughput of a relay-assisted VLC network [19]. A
VLC system integrated with vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) and LED was
demonstrated indoors using a DF relay scheme with a data rate of 650 Mbps over a 4 m
link [20].
Overall, most reported works on multihop free-space VLC systems are usually based
on numerical simulations or only for low-speed scenarios. The data rate of the multi-
hop system was limited significantly by the electrical-to-optical (E-O) bandwidth of the
transmitter. Using micro-light-emitting diodes (micro-LEDs) as a transmitter has great
potential for high-speed multihop VLC implementation due to their high E-O bandwidth
characteristics [21,22]. In Ref. [23], a high-bandwidth micro-LED with a self-assembled
nanostructure InGaN wetting layer was designed and fabricated, which shows great po-
Photonics 2022, 9, 211 3 of 11

tential in point-to-point VLC applications. In addition, the maximum achievable data rate
of 4 Gbps has been experimentally demonstrated by using OFDM. In order to overcome
the limited communication distance and increase the data rate in the real-time NLOS VLC
systems, a multihop structure combined with high-bandwidth micro-LED was adopted
in this work. Incidentally, micro-LEDs also have great potential in the field of ultraviolet
communication (UVC). Both NLOS and relatively low-speed problems can also be solved
in ultraviolet (UV) micro-LED-based UVC systems. Recently, an AlGaN-based deep UV
micro-LED emitting at 275 nm was proposed with the 3-dB E-O bandwidth of 380 MHz [24].
In addition, high-speed UVC based on a 276.8 nm UV micro-LED with a 3-dB E-O band-
width of 452.53 MHz was experimentally achieved. A UVC link over 3 m with a data
rate of 0.82 Gbps was presented [25]. However, ultraviolet radiation is not suitable for
indoor scenarios resulting from its characteristics, which can be harmful and cause different
degrees of damage to the human body. Moreover, our proposed dual-hop VLC system
based on a blue micro-LED showed a higher communication-data rate compared with UVC.
Therefore, UVC is not suitable for solving NLOS problems for indoor applications, and
our dual-hop VLC system is a promising solution to tackle high-speed NLOS problems
indoors.
In this work, in order to explore the potential of the multihop structure, a dual-hop AF
relay-based VLC system with a wider coverage range and a higher data rate is proposed.
We focus on the application of VLC in an indoor environment, by fully routing data between
VLC-based nodes and providing a Gbps communication rate. Two 488 nm blue micro-
LEDs with 880 MHz E-O bandwidth were designed and then used as the transmitter in
two nodes. The modulation characteristics of the micro-LED are the key reason to enable
the high-speed system than other works. After a total 4 m free-space transmission, the
qualitative analysis of VLC links was carried out by frequency response and real-time
BER measurements with a simple OOK-modulation scheme. After passing through the
relay node, the NLOS problem could be solved and the communication distance was then
extended; the consequent inevitable cost was a reduction in modulation bandwidth from
880 to 715 MHz. This is mainly due to the noise introduced by AF and the long-distance
attenuation. On the whole, the communication system also remained high data rates and a
slightly reduced modulation bandwidth, while the cost of the dual-hop VLC system was
acceptable. In addition, we also studied the influence of distance on the dual-hop system.
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first real-time dual-hop link based on micro-LEDs.
The results show that our proposed dual-hop VLC system with relay infrastructure can
support future high-speed optical wireless networks by extending the coverage area for
indoor NLOS-transmission applications.
The rest of this paper is organized as follows: Section 2 describes the concept and
channel-model dual-hop VLC system based on micro-LEDs. Section 3 shows the experi-
mental setup for the proposed dual-hop VLC system. System communication performance
including the modulation bandwidth and the BER results with real-time is also given in
this section. Finally, we conclude the investigation in Section 4.

2. Concept, System Setups, and Methods

In Figure 1, a relaying VLC system based on multiple micro-LEDs is investigated,
which consists of the source node, the relay node, and the end-user. The corresponding
experimental setup of dual-hop system is shown in Figure 2. Experimental parameters based
on Hop 1 and Hop 2 are summarized in Table 1. The proposed framework can be applied in
indoor VLC scenarios, which means many high-speed applications including virtual reality,
real-time HD communication, second-level download, and real-time cloud storage can be
realized. High-speed data transmission not only improves the ultimate sensory experience
for users but also creates greater value for operators. However, the transmission system may
be limited by NLOS due to the characteristics of VLC. Therefore, we consider the downlink
transmission of a dual-hop system, consisting of two micro-LEDs and a single end-user.
The system concept is shown in Figure 1a. As illustrated in Figure 1a, the link between the
Photonics 2022, 9, x FOR PEER2022,
Photonics REVIEW
9, x FOR PEER REVIEW 4 of 11

sory experience sory experience

for users but also forcreates
users but also value
greater createsfor greater valueHowever,
operators. for operators. However, the
the trans-
Photonics 2022, 9, 211 mission system mission system may
may be limited by NLOSbe limited
due tobythe NLOS due to the of
characteristics characteristics
VLC. Therefore, of 4VLC.
ofwe11 Therefo
consider the downlink considertransmission
the downlink oftransmission
a dual-hop system, of a dual-hop system,
consisting consisting
of two micro-LEDsof two micro
and a single end-user.and a single end-user.
The system The system
concept is shown concept is shown
in Figure 1a. Asinillustrated
Figure 1a. in AsFigure
illustrated in F
1a, the 1a,
link between the link
the the between
firstsecond the
transmitter first transmitter
(Tx.1) (Tx.1) and the second receiver
suffers (Rx.2) s
first transmitter (Tx.1) and receiver (Rx.2)and the NLOS
suffers secondtransmission
receiver (Rx.2) constraints
NLOS transmissionNLOS transmission
constraints constraints due to the obstacle. The use of a relay node of compo
due to the obstacle. The use of adue to node
relay the obstacle.
composed Theofuse of and
Rx.1 a relay
Tx.2 node
is ancomposed
alternative
Rx.1 andtoTx.2
method is Rx.1
solve an
this
and Tx.2 ismethod
alternative
NLOS problem. to
an alternative
Wesolve
method
usedthis NLOSto solve
a micro-LED
this NLOS
problem.
as theWe
problem.
used
light
We used a micro
a micro-LED
source for the
as the light sourceas the
for light
the source for
dual-hop VLCthe system;
dual-hop VLC system;
therefore, the therefore, the
transmitter can transmitter
be consid- can be c
dual-hop VLC system; therefore, the transmitter can be considered as a monochromatic-
ered as ered as a monochromatic-point
a monochromatic-point light source with light source with
Lambertian Lambertian radiation pattern. Th
point light source with Lambertian radiation pattern. The VLCradiation
system ispattern.
based on The
theVLC
AF
system system
is basedAmong is based
on the various
AF relayrelayon the
method. AF relay
Among method.
various Among
relaywe various
strategies relay
based strategies based on
relay method. strategies based on VLC, chose AF relayonasVLC,
our
we chose we chose AF relay as our relay node, which is very simple but will inevitably syn
relay node,AF relayisas
which veryoursimple
relay node,
but will which is very
inevitably simple but will
synchronously causeinevitably synchro-
amplification of
nouslyIncause nously
amplification cause amplification of noise. In our dual-hop VLC system, channel-intensity
noise. our dual-hop VLCofsystem,
noise. In our dual-hop VLC
channel-intensity system, channel-intensity
modulation with direct detection mod-
ulation with direct detection (IM/DD) ischoice, the preferred choice, which can be modele
(IM/DD) is the preferred choice, which can be modeled as a base-band linear system.as
ulation with direct detection (IM/DD) is the preferred which can be modeled Ata
base-band base-band linear system. Atreceiver,
the end-usernoise receiver, the noiseofislarger
composed of large
the end-userlinear system.
receiver, At
the noise theis end-user
composed of largerthe shot noise is and
composed
thermal noise due shotto
noise and thermal noise and thermal noise due to the introduction of additional relay
multi-relay a multi
node. In
the introduction ofnoise due torelay
additional the introduction of additional
node. In a multi-relay VLC relay node.that
system In aimplements
VLC system thatthere VLC system
implements that implements
communication, communication,
there is athe there
positive is a positive
correlation between correlation
the betwe
communication, is a positive correlation between communication-performance
communication-performance
communication-performance deterioration deterioration
ofnumber
the end-user of the end-user
receiver and the number of the
receiver and in- number
deterioration of the end-user receiver and the of introduced nodes.
troduced nodes. troduced nodes.

Figurediagram
Figure 1. (a) Schematic 1. (a) Schematic diagram
of dual-hop of dual-hop
VLC-link VLC-link
setup. (b) Diagram setup. (b) Diagram
of dual-hop of dual-hop VL
VLC-link
Figure 1. (a) Schematic diagram
setup. (c) of dual-hop
The cascade VLC-link
structure of Amp.2.setup.
with(b) Diagram
detailed of and
order dual-hop VLC-link
type. (Tx.: Transmitter; R
setup. (c) The cascade structure of Amp.2 with detailed order and type. (Tx.: Transmitter; Rx.:
setup. (c) The cascade structure
ceiver; of Amp.2.BERT:
Amp.: Amplifier; with detailed ordertester;
Bit-error-rate and type.
DC: (Tx.:
DirectTransmitter;
current.). Rx.: Re-
Receiver; Amp.:
ceiver; Amp.: Amplifier;
Amplifier; BERT:
BERT: Bit-error-rate
Bit-error-rate tester;
tester; DC:
DC: Directcurrent.).
Direct current).

Figure 2. Experimental setup of dual-hop VLC link. (Inset: Cascade Amp.2.)

Figure 2.
Figure 2. Experimental
Experimental setup
setup of
of dual-hop
dual-hop VLC
VLClink.
link. (Inset:
(Inset: Cascade
Cascade Amp.2).
Amp.2.)
The setup for the dual-hop VLC system is depicted in Figure 1b. A long pseud
The
Thesetup
setupforforthe
dom dual-hop
thebinary
dual-hop VLC
sequence
VLC system
with is
system depicted
a length of in
is depicted 231Figure 1b. 1b.
−1 Figure
in A long
is modulated pseudo-random
by
A long OOK format and gen
pseudo-ran-
binary sequence with 31
2 −
dom binary fromabit-error-rate
sequence length
with a oflength 1ofis2modulated
tester (BERT,
31 by OOKAnritsu),
MP2100B,
−1 is modulated format
by OOKand the generated
system
format from
andalso usedbit-
generated to measur
error-rate tester (BERT, MP2100B, Anritsu), the system
implementing also
the used to
intensity measure BER
from bit-error-rate tester (BERT, MP2100B, Anritsu), the system also used to measure BER the sig
performance. Before modulation performance.
of micro-LED,
Before implementing
performance. Before the intensity
amplified first andmodulation
implementing superimposed
the intensity of modulation
micro-LED, the
with direct current signal is amplified
(DC)
of micro-LED, bythe first
a bias-tee.
signal isAfter 2 m
and superimposed with direct current (DC) by a bias-tee. After 2 m free-space
amplified first and superimposed with direct current (DC) by a bias-tee. After 2 m free- transmission,
the optical signal is received by Rx.1. In this experiment, Rx.1 and Rx.2 are two avalanche
photodiode (APD, APD210, Thorlabs) modules. Following transmission over the first optical
link, the AF relay scheme is used. At the relay node, Rx.1 is used to convert the received optical
signals into electrical signals and provide high gain. In order to ensure the signal quality and
 space transmission, the optical signal is received by Rx.1. In this experiment, Rx.1 and Rx.2
are two avalanche photodiode (APD, APD210, Thorlabs) modules. Following transmis-
sion over the first optical link, the AF relay scheme is used. At the relay node, Rx.1 is used
Photonics 2022, 9, 211
to convert the received optical signals into electrical signals and provide high gain. 5Inof or- 11

der to ensure the signal quality and adjust the voltage dynamically, Amp.2 is composed
of two amplifiers (SHF, Mini-circuits, and DR-AN-20-MO, iXblue), as shown in Figure 2c.
adjust the voltage
To obtain dynamically,
the optimum voltageAmp.2 is composed
and modulation of two
depth foramplifiers (SHF,
relay signals, weMini-circuits,
can traverse
and DR-AN-20-MO,
different iXblue),
values to select as shown involtage
the appropriate Figurecorresponding
2. To obtain the optimum
to the voltage
lowest BER, and
specific
modulation depth
voltage values forbe
can relay
seensignals,
in Tablewe1.can traverse Rx.2
Similarly, different
can values
detect to
theselect the signal
optical appropriate
trans-
voltage corresponding
mitted from to the
the Tx.2 after a 2 lowest BER,inspecific
m distance anothervoltage values
direction. can to
Finally, beevaluate
seen in commu-
Table 1.
Similarly,
nication performance, a real-time oscilloscope (RTO, DPO75902SX, Tektronix) is usedin
Rx.2 can detect the optical signal transmitted from the Tx.2 after a 2 m distance to
another direction.
record the Finally,
signal after to evaluate
dual-hop communication
structure, performance,
and then analyze a real-time
the signal qualityoscilloscope
and capture
(RTO, DPO75902SX,
the eye diagrams. The Tektronix) is usedbandwidth
modulation to record the
of signal
the VLCafter dual-hop
system structure,
is obtained byand then
a vector
analyze
networktheanalyzer
signal quality and capture
(N5227A, Keysight) thewhich
eye diagrams.
connectsThe modulation
with bandwidth
the transmitter of the
and the re-
VLC system is obtained by a vector network analyzer (N5227A, Keysight)
ceiver side. BERT is used to transmit and receive the signals in order to measure BER at which connects
with the transmitter
different data rates.and the receiver side. BERT is used to transmit and receive the signals in
order to measure BER at different data rates.
Table 1. Experimental parameters based on Hop 1 and Hop 2.
Table 1. Experimental parameters based on Hop 1 and Hop 2.
Parameter Hop1 Hop 2
Parameter Hop 1 Hop 2
Transmitter 100 μm micro-LED 100 μm micro-LED
OutputTransmitter
optical power 100 µm
67 μW micro-LED 10063
µmμW micro-LED
Output optical power 67 µW 63 µW
Receiver APD210 (1 GHz) APD210 (1 GHz)
Receiver APD210 (1 GHz) APD210 (1 GHz)
The
The length ofPRBS
length of PRBS 223131−1
−1 2312−1
31 −1
Modulation format
Modulation format OOKOOK OOK OOK
Bias voltage
Bias voltage 4.48VV
4.48 4.494.49
VV
Modulation depth (Vpp) 5.3 V 5.2 V
Modulation depth (Vpp) 5.3 V 5.2 V
Amplifier SHF SHF iXblue
Amplifier
Distance SHF 2m SHF iXblue
4m
Distance 2m 4m
3. Experimental Results and Discussions
3. Experimental Results and Discussions
3.1. Device Characteristics
3.1. Device Characteristics
Detailed electrical and optical properties of the packaged 100-µm blue micro-LED are
Detailed
measured, electrical
as shown and optical
in Figures 3 andproperties
4. of the packaged 100-μm blue micro-LED are
measured, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

Figure3.3.Current
Figure Currentdensity
densityvs.
vs.voltage
voltage(J-V)
(J-V)and
andcurrent
currentdensity
densityvs.
vs.optical
opticalpower
powerdensity
density(JL)
(JL)curves
ofcurves
the package 100-µm micro-LED.
of the package 100-μm micro-LED.

Figure 3 shows the current density and voltage (J-V) and current density and optical
power density (J-L) of the package 100-µm micro-LED. J-V characteristics were measured by a
DC supply instrument under different current densities (RIGOL, DP800). JL characteristics
were measured using a calibrated silicon photodiode detector (Thorlabs, PM100D). As shown
in Figure 3, the linear region of the micro-LED is small. However, the nonlinear part in the
subsequent experiment can be used to improve the SNR and the communication performance.
The optimal value of DC and modulation depth of the system can be found by traversing.
 Figure 3 shows the current density and voltage (J-V) and current density and optical
power density (J-L) of the package 100-μm micro-LED. J-V characteristics were measured
by a DC supply instrument under different current densities (RIGOL, DP800). JL charac-
teristics were measured using a calibrated silicon photodiode detector (Thorlabs,
PM100D). As shown in Figure 3, the linear region of the micro-LED is small. However,
Photonics 2022, 9, 211 the nonlinear part in the subsequent experiment can be used to improve the SNR and 6 ofthe
11
communication performance. The optimal value of DC and modulation depth of the sys-
tem can be found by traversing.
Asshown
As shownin inFigure
Figure4,4,the
theoptical
opticalspectrum
spectrumof ofthe
themicro-LED
micro-LEDisismeasured
measuredat atvarious
various
driving current densities, which can observe that the emission peak is around
driving current densities, which can observe that the emission peak is around 488 nm. 488 nm.As As
thecurrent
the currentdensity
densitychanges
changesfrom
from509.28
509.28A/cm 2
A/cm to
2 to891.24
891.24A/cm 2
A/cm , it can
2 can bebe seen
seen that
that there
thereisis
noobvious
no obviousred/blue
red/blue shift. Meanwhile, the intensity
intensity peaks
peaks will
will all
all significantly
significantlyrise
riseasasthe
the
currentdensity
current densityincreases.
increases.

Figure4.4.The
Figure Thespectrum
spectrumof
ofthe
thepackage
package100-µm
100-μmmicro-LED.
micro-LED.

3.2. Analysis of Signal Waveform Quality

3.2. Analysis of Signal Waveform Quality
To qualitatively analyze the signal distortion in this dual-hop data-transmission sys-
To qualitatively analyze the signal distortion in this dual-hop data-transmission sys-
tem, a BERT is used to send a 23131−1 pseudo-random binary sequence (PRBS) at 1 Gbps
tem, a BERT is used to send a 2 − 1 pseudo-random binary sequence (PRBS) at 1 Gbps
and a real-time oscilloscope is used to capture the waveform, simultaneously. Figure 5
and a real-time oscilloscope is used to capture the waveform, simultaneously. Figure 5
shows the signals at the test points before Tx.1, after Rx.1, Amp.2, and Rx.2, respectively.
shows the signals at the test points before Tx.1, after Rx.1, Amp.2, and Rx.2, respectively.
Furthermore, the peak-to-peak-voltage (Vpp) is also noted. Figure 5a,b shows that the OOK
Furthermore, the peak-to-peak-voltage (Vpp) is also noted. Figure 5a,b shows that the
signal suffers distortion and overlaps introduced noise as it passes through the 2 m link.
OOK signal suffers distortion and overlaps introduced noise as it passes through the 2 m
To obtain an ideal signal strength to drive Tx.2, the electrical signal generated by Rx.1 is
link. To obtain an ideal signal strength to drive Tx.2, the electrical signal generated by Rx.1
amplified. The amplifier (DR-AN-20-MO, iXblue, BesanCon, France) provides a tunable
is amplified.
gain of 22 dB,The amplifier
which (DR-AN-20-MO,
amplifies the electricaliXblue, BesanCon,
signal from 137.6 France)
mV to 4.8provides
V. Thisavoltage
tunable
gain of 22 dB, which amplifies the electrical signal from 137.6 mV
serves as the optimum modulation depth. The waveform is closer to a square wave to 4.8 V. This voltage
after
the amplifier, mainly because of the influence of oscilloscope noise superimposed onafter
serves as the optimum modulation depth. The waveform is closer to a square wave the
the amplifier,
final waveformmainly
insteadbecause of the influence
of the improvement of of
theoscilloscope noiseratio
signal-to-noise superimposed on the
(SNR), as shown
final
in waveform
Figure instead
5b,c. Then, theofsignal
the improvement
passes through of the
the signal-to-noise
second 2-m link. ratio (SNR),
Figure as shows
5c,d shown
Photonics 2022, 9, x FOR PEER REVIEW
in Figure 5b,c.signal
Then,suffers
the signal passes throughand the second 2-m link. Figure 5c,dasshows7 of 11
that
that the OOK similar distortion overlaps introduced noise it passes
the OOK
through thesignal
second suffers similar distortion and overlaps introduced noise as it passes
2-m link.
through the second 2-m link.

Figure 5. Signal
Figure5. Signal observed
observed on
onoscilloscope
oscilloscopeafter
after(a)
(a)Tx.1,
Tx.1,(b)
(b)Rx.1,
Rx.1,(c)
(c)amplifier,
amplifier,(d)
(d)Rx.2.
Rx.2.

3.3. Communication-Performance Evaluations

In this section, an evaluation of the communication performance of the dual-hop sys-
tem is given. In order to better understand the influence of the communication perfor-
Photonics 2022, 9, 211 7 of 11

Figure 5. Signal observed on oscilloscope after (a) Tx.1, (b) Rx.1, (c) amplifier, (d) Rx.2.

3.3. Communication-Performance
3.3. Communication-Performance Evaluations
Evaluations
In this
In this section, an evaluation of the communication performance of the dual-hop sys-
tem isisgiven.
tem given.InInorder
order
to to better
better understand
understand the the influence
influence of theofcommunication
the communication perfor-
performance
mance
of of the dual-hop
the dual-hop system, asystem, a comparison
comparison is made withis made with the single-hop
the single-hop system. The system. The
frequency
response
frequencyand BER performance
response were experimentally
and BER performance tested.
were experimentally tested.
The
The normalized
normalized frequency
frequency response
response of of the
the micro-LED-based
micro-LED-based VLC VLC system
system at different
different
links shownin
links is shown inFigure
Figure6,6,which
which illustrates
illustrates thethe modulation-bandwidth
modulation-bandwidth characteristics
characteristics un-
under different situations. Without any hardware-equalization technique,
der different situations. Without any hardware-equalization technique, it can reach 880 it can reach
880
MHz MHz in the
in the single-hop
single-hop link,link, which
which presents
presents thisthis blue
blue micro-LED
micro-LED hashas great
great potential
potential as
as high-speed
high-speed communication
communication application.
application. Moreover,
Moreover, the values
the values of modulation
of 3-dB 3-dB modulation
band-
bandwidth
width decrease decrease
to 715toMHz
715 MHzwith with the relay
the relay node.node. It isto
It is easy easy
see to seemodulation
that that modulation
band-
bandwidth only slightly decreases after the relay nodes and longer
width only slightly decreases after the relay nodes and longer distance transmission.distance transmission.

Figure 6. The
Figure 6. The comparison
comparison of
of measured
measured normalized
normalized frequency
frequency response
responsefrom
fromHop
Hop11and
andHop
Hop2.2.

Figures
Figures 77 and
and 88 indicate
indicate the
the results
results of
of measured
measured BER BER performance,
performance, as as well
well as
as the
the
obtained
obtained insert
insert of
of it,
it, which
which represents
represents the
the corresponding
corresponding eye eye diagrams
diagrams whenwhen the
the data
data rate
rate
is
is varied. ThePRBS
varied. The PRBSpattern
patternlength
length ofof
thethe
OOK OOK signal
signal is as
is set set231 231
as−1. −1.
As As illustrated
illustrated in
in Figure
Figure 6, the different OOK modulations of 1.0 Gbps to 2.1 Gbps are applied
6(a), the different OOK modulations of 1.0 Gbps to 2.1 Gbps are applied on Tx.1. The max- on Tx.1. The
−3 ),
maximum
imum datadata raterate is 2.0
is 2.0 Gbps
Gbps withinthe
within theforward
forwarderror
error correction
correction (FEC)
(FEC)limit (3.8××10
limit(3.8 10−3),
which
which can
can fully
fully demonstrate
demonstrate the the great
great potential
potential of
of the
the micro-LED
micro-LED used used in
in the
the high-speed
high-speed
VLC
VLC communication system. As a result, the maximum data of the first blue micro-LED
communication system. As a result, the maximum data of the first blue micro-LED
can
can reach
reach 22 Gbps
Gbps inin 22 m
m free-space
free-space transmission
transmission atat the
the FEC
FEC limit.
limit. Meanwhile,
Meanwhile, through
through thethe
same 2 m free-space channel and lens, the values of the received optical power are also
measured, which remain relatively the same: 67 µW in Figure 7 while 63 µW in Figure 8.
Then, the maximum modulated data of Tx.2 is likewise performed. In the experiment,
the different OOK modulations of 500 Mbps to 1.3 Gbps are applied on the second blue
micro-LED. The maximum data rate corresponding to the FEC limit is 1.1 Gbps, which is
smaller than the single-hop link. After the AF method, the transmitted optical power of
the relay node is almost the same. The change of Vpp also confirms this, which is from
137.6 mV to 112.0 mV. Therefore, for single-hop and dual-hop links, 2.0 Gbps and 1.1 Gbps
are achievable within the FEC limit, respectively.
Photonics
Photonics2022,
2022,9,9,x xFOR
FORPEER
PEERREVIEW
REVIEW 8 8ofof1111

Photonics 2022, 9, 211 same 8 of 11

same2 2mmfree-space
free-spacechannel
channeland
andlens,
lens,the
thevalues
valuesofofthe
thereceived
receivedoptical
opticalpower
powerarearealso
also
measured,
measured,which
whichremain
remainrelatively
relativelythe
thesame:
same:6767μW
μWininFigure
Figure7 7while
while6363μW
μWininFigure
Figure8.8.

Measurement of real-time BER

Figure7.7.Measurement
Figure BER with OOK
OOK format from Hop 1.1. (Inset: the corresponding eye
Figure 7. Measurementofofreal-time
real-time BERwith
with OOKformat
formatfrom
fromHop
Hop 1.(Inset:
(Inset:the
thecorresponding
corresponding
diagrams
eye
eyediagramsat the data
diagramsatatthe rates
thedata of
datarates 1.0 Gbps
ratesofof1.0 and
1.0Gbps 1.5
Gbpsand Gbps).
and1.5
1.5Gbps.)
Gbps.)

Measurement of real-time BER

Figure8.8.Measurement
Figure BER with OOK
OOK format from Hop 2.2. (Inset: the corresponding eye
Figure 8. Measurementofofreal-time
real-time BERwith
with OOKformat
formatfrom
fromHop
Hop 2.(Inset:
(Inset:the
thecorresponding
corresponding
diagrams
eye
eyediagramsat the
diagrams data
atatthe rates
thedata
data of 500
rates
rates Mbps,
ofof500 1.0 1.0
500Mbps,
Mbps, Gbps, andand
1.0Gbps,
Gbps, 1.2 Gbps).
and1.2
1.2Gbps.)
Gbps.)

In order
Then, to be more intuitive, Table 2 summarizes some measured indicators related to
Then,the themaximum
maximummodulated modulateddata dataofofTx.2
Tx.2isislikewise
likewiseperformed.
performed.InInthe theexperi-
experi-
communication
ment, performance. Under the premise of the extended distance of the dual-hop
ment,the thedifferent
differentOOK OOKmodulations
modulationsofof500 500Mbps
Mbpstoto1.3 1.3Gbps
Gbpsareareapplied
appliedon onthethesecond
second
VLCmicro-LED.
blue system which increases from 2 mrate
to 4corresponding
m, it is noticeable thatFECsome of the communi-
blue micro-LED. The maximum data rate corresponding to the FEC limit is 1.1Gbps,
The maximum data to the limit is 1.1 Gbps,
cationisperformance
which is changed. The value Afterof Vpp goes down from 137.6 mV to 112.0 mV,
which issmaller smallerthan thanthe thesingle-hop
single-hoplink. link. Afterthe theAF AFmethod,
method,the thetransmitted
transmittedoptical optical
which
power is relatively the same due to the AF method and the same bias current. However,
powerofofthe therelay
relaynode
nodeisisalmostalmostthe thesame.
same.The Thechange
changeofofVpp Vppalsoalsoconfirms
confirmsthis, this,which
which
isthe AF137.6 method mV will
to inevitably
112.0 mV. introduce
Therefore, forsynchronous
single-hop amplification
is from 137.6 mV to 112.0 mV. Therefore, for single-hop and dual-hop links, 2.0 Gbpsand
from and dual-hop of noise;
links, 2.0 the noise
Gbps and
and
1.1 long-distance attenuation represent a greater impact in the dual-hop link following an
1.1Gbps
Gbpsare areachievable
achievablewithin withinthe theFECFEClimit,
limit,respectively.
respectively.
inevitable
InInorder reduction in the
totobebemore modulation bandwidth
intuitive, and the maximum data rate. There is an
admissible order decrease more intuitive,Table
in modulation Table2 2summarizes
bandwidth summarizes
between 880
some
some measured
MHzmeasured indicators
and 715indicators
related
MHz. Moreover, related
totocommunication performance. Under the
thepremise ofofthe
theextended distance ofofthe thedual-
thecommunication
data rate stabilizes performance.
at the order Under
of Gbps premise
and the relay extended
node in thedistance
real-time dual-hop dual-
hop VLC
hop VLC system
system which
which increases from 2 m to 4 m, it is noticeable that some of the com-
VLC system expands theincreases
scope of the from 2 m toarea,
limited 4 m,tackling
it is noticeable
the NLOS that some ofeffectively.
problem the com-
munication
munication performance
performance isischanged.
changed. The
The value
value ofofVpp
Vpp goes
goes down
down from
from 137.6
137.6 mVmV toto112.0
112.0
Therefore, the cost of the relay node is acceptable. To the best of our knowledge, this is
mV,
mV, which
which isisrelatively
relatively the
the same
same due
due totothe
theAFAF method
method and
and the
thesame
same bias
bias current.
current. How-
How-
the first experimental demonstration of a real-time dual-hop link based on a micro-LED
ever, the
ever,couldtheAF AF method
method will
willinevitably
inevitably introduce synchronous amplification of noise; the
that provide a potential solutionintroduce
to tackle the synchronous
NLOS problem amplification
of indoor of VLC.noise; the
In this
noise
noise andand long-distance
long-distance attenuation
attenuation represent
represent a agreater
greater impact
impact ininthe
the dual-hop
dual-hop link
link fol-
fol-
work, the modulation signal with an OOK format is used to complete the experimental
lowing
lowingan aninevitable
inevitable reduction
reduction ininthe
themodulation
modulation bandwidth
bandwidth and the maximum
maximumdata rate.
verification of our proposed dual-hop VLC system based on and bluethemicro-LEDs. data rate.
In future
There is an
There higher-order admissible
is an admissible decrease
decrease in modulation
in modulation bandwidth
bandwidth between
between 880 MHz
880 data and
MHzrates. and715 715
work, modulation formats can be considered to obtain higher
 problem effectively. Therefore, the cost of the relay node is acceptable. To the best of our
knowledge, this is the first experimental demonstration of a real-time dual-hop link based
on a micro-LED that could provide a potential solution to tackle the NLOS problem of
indoor VLC. In this work, the modulation signal with an OOK format is used to complete
the experimental verification of our proposed dual-hop VLC system based on blue micro-
Photonics 2022, 9, 211 LEDs. In future work, higher-order modulation formats can be considered to obtain 9 of 11
higher data rates.

Table
Table2.2.Communication-performance
Communication-performancecomparison
comparisonfrom
fromHop
Hop1 1and
andHop
Hop2.2.
Link
Link Distance
Distance VppVpp Bandwidth
Bandwidth Data rate
Data (FEC)
Rate (FEC)
Hop 1 2.0 m 137.6 mV 880 MHz 2.0 Gbps
Hop 1 2.0 m 137.6 mV 880 MHz 2.0 Gbps
Hop
Hop22 4.04.0
mm 112.0 mV
112.0 mV 715715
MHzMHz 1.1 1.1
GbpsGbps

3.4. The Impact of Transmission Distance

3.4. The Impact of Transmission Distance
ToTofurther
furtherunderstand
understand the impact of
the impact oftransmission
transmissiondistance
distance andand prove
prove that that
ourour pro-
proposed
posed system can be applied to more scenarios, the measurement results
system can be applied to more scenarios, the measurement results at different distances at different dis-
tances are discussed
are discussed in thisinsection.
this section.
Except Except
for thefor the change
change of communication
of communication distance,distance, the
the system
system parameters are consistent
parameters are consistent with Table 1. with Table 1.
First,
First,totohave
havea abetter
betterunderstanding
understandingofofthe thedistance
distanceimpact
impacttotothethereceived
receivedsignal
signal
based
based on the micro-LED, we can measure the corresponding received opticalpower
on the micro-LED, we can measure the corresponding received optical powerandand
Vpp
Vppininthe
thefree-space
free-spacetransmission
transmissionofof2 2toto4 4m.m.AsAs we
we can see
can seefrom
fromFigure
Figure9,9,thethereceived
received
optical
opticalpower
powerisis16,16,10,
10,8 μW
8 µWatat2,2,
3,3,
4 m. The
4 m. The VppVpp ofof
the received
the received signal is is
signal proportional
proportional toto
the
thereceived
receivedoptical
opticalpower.
power.AtAt the
thedata
datarate
rateofof1.5
1.5Gbps,
Gbps,the
theeye
eye diagrams
diagrams ofof2m2m and
and4 4mm
are given,
are given,respectively.
respectively.ItItcan
canbebe
seen
seenthat the
that thecommunication
communication performance
performance ofofa single-hop
a single-hop
system will deteriorate with the increase in transmission
system will deteriorate with the increase in transmission distance. distance.

Figure 9. Measured received power and Vpp under the different free-space transmission lengths of
Figure 9. Measured received power and Vpp under the different free-space transmission lengths of
2 m to 4 m (Inset: the eye diagram at the data rate of 1.5 Gbps at 2 m and 4 m).
2 m to 4 m (Inset: the eye diagram at the data rate of 1.5 Gbps at 2 m and 4 m).
Then, the relationship between distance and data rate is analyzed. The comparison
Then, Hop
between the relationship
1 and Hop 2between distance
at different and data rate
communication is analyzed.
distances The
is given, comparison
which is shown
between Hop 1 and Hop 2 at different communication distances is given,
in Figure 10. In the single-hop system, the data rates within FEC are 2 Gbps in the which is shown
cases of
in2Figure 10. In the single-hop system, the data rates within FEC are 2 Gbps
m and 3 m transmission distance, and the BER performance of 3 m is slightly increased in the cases
ofwith
2 m and 3 m transmission distance, and the BER performance of 3 m is slightly
the increase in distance. When the distance increases to 4 m, the maximum data rate of increased
with
the the increasesystem
single-hop in distance. When
decreases to the
1.6 distance
Gbps. In increases
the dual-hopto 4 system,
m, the maximum datawithin
the data rates rate
ofFEC
the are
single-hop system decreases to 1.6 Gbps. In the dual-hop system,
1.1 Gbps, 1.1 Gbps, and 1 Gbps at the length of 2 m to 4 m. It can be seen thatthe data rates
within
whenFEC are 1.1 Gbps,
the single-hop 1.1 Gbps, andperformance
communication 1 Gbps at the is length of 2 m
not limited byto 4 m. It can
distance, the be seen
dual-hop
communication performance also remains relatively stable with the increase in distance,
which can further prove the potential application indoors.
Photonics 2022, 9, x FOR PEER REVIEW 10 of 11

that when the single-hop communication performance is not limited by distance, the dual-
Photonics 2022, 9, 211 10 of 11
hop communication performance also remains relatively stable with the increase in dis-
tance, which can further prove the potential application indoors.

Figure 10.
Figure 10. Measurement
Measurement of
of maximum
maximum data
data rate
rate within
within FEC
FEC limit
limit at
at different
different lengths
lengths (The
(The blue
blue font
font
on the
on the histogram
histogram represents
representsthe
theBER
BERfor
forthe
thecorresponding
correspondingcase).
case).

4.
4. Conclusions
Conclusions
For
For the
theindoor
indoorenvironment,
environment,the theLOS
LOSVLCVLCsystem
systemcould not
could notalways
always have been
have beenguaran-
guar-
teed duedue
anteed to many effects,
to many but itbut
effects, canitgreatly influence
can greatly the communication
influence quality. quality.
the communication To addressTo
this unavoidable
address problem and
this unavoidable have high-speed
problem communication
and have high-speed simultaneously,
communication a dual-hop
simultaneously,
VLC system VLC
a dual-hop basedsystem
on a blue micro-LED
based on a bluewas proposed was
micro-LED and experimentally demonstrated.
proposed and experimentally
The deployment of relay nodes can ensure high-speed communication
demonstrated. The deployment of relay nodes can ensure high-speed communication indoors and solvein-
the
doors and solve the NLOS problem. To the best of our knowledge, this was thedual-hop
NLOS problem. To the best of our knowledge, this was the first time that a first time
VLC
that alink was based
dual-hop VLC onlinka was
micro-LED.
based onIn addition, inIn
a micro-LED. order to better
addition, analyze
in order the cost
to better and
analyze
benefit of the relay node, a comparison between the single-hop and the dual-hop
the cost and benefit of the relay node, a comparison between the single-hop and the dual- link was
presented.
hop link was Onpresented.
the premiseOn of the
increasing
premisetheof communication distance from 2 distance
increasing the communication m to 4 m,from
there2
was an admissible decrease in modulation bandwidth between 880
m to 4 m, there was an admissible decrease in modulation bandwidth between 880 MHzMHz and 715 MHz.
Meanwhile,
and 715 MHz. theMeanwhile,
data rate corresponding to the FEC limittoremained
the data rate corresponding in theremained
the FEC limit order of Gbps.
in the
The result demonstrated a dual-hop VLC system based on blue micro-LEDs with a data
order of Gbps. The result demonstrated a dual-hop VLC system based on blue micro-
rate up to 1.1 Gbps through simple OOK modulation over a 4 m NLOS free-space link, with
LEDs with a data rate up to 1.1 Gbps through simple OOK modulation over a 4 m NLOS
the help of a low-cost AF relay. In addition, when the overall link distance increases from
free-space link, with the help of a low-cost AF relay. In addition, when the overall link
4 m to 8 m, the dual-hop system is still capable of high-speed communication. The data rate
distance increases from 4 m to 8 m, the dual-hop system is still capable of high-speed
within the FEC limit at 8 m is 1 Gbps. The available 8 m transmission distance exceeded
communication. The data rate within the FEC limit at 8 m is 1 Gbps. The available 8 m
the LOS distance for the indoor LOS link, which can be applied to more indoor scenarios.
transmission distance exceeded the LOS distance for the indoor LOS link, which can be
Experimental results confirmed that the dual-hop VLC system based on micro-LEDs can
applied to more indoor scenarios. Experimental results confirmed that the dual-hop VLC
tackle critical NLOS problems in VLC systems and is sufficient for high-speed indoor
system based on micro-LEDs can tackle critical NLOS problems in VLC systems and is
application in the future.
sufficient for high-speed indoor application in the future.
Author Contributions: Conceptualization, Z.W. (Zixian Wei) and Y.Z.; methodology, Z.W. (Zixian
Author
Wei); Contributions:
validation, Conceptualization,
Z.W. (Zixian Wei) and Y.Z.; Z.W. (Zixian
formal Wei)
analysis, andinvestigation,
Y.Z.; Y.Z.; methodology, Z.W. (Zixian
Y.Z.; resources, Z.W.
Wei); validation, Z.W. (Zixian Wei) and Y.Z.; formal analysis, Y.Z.; investigation, Y.Z.; resources,
(Zixian Wei) and Zhang, Y; data curation, Z.W. (Zixian Wei) and Z.W. (Zhaoming Wang); writing—
Z.W. (Zixian Wei) and Zhang, Y; data curation, Z.W. (Zixian Wei) and Z.W. (Zhaoming Wang);
original draft preparation, Y.Z., Z.W. (Zixian Wei) and Z.W. (Zhaoming Wang); writing—review
writing—original draft preparation, Y.Z., Z.W. (Zixian Wei) and Z.W. (Zhaoming Wang); writing—
and editing, H.Y.F.; visualization, Y.Z.; supervision, H.Y.F.; project administration, H.Y.F.; funding
review and editing, H.Y.F.; visualization, Y.Z.; supervision, H.Y.F.; project administration, H.Y.F.;
acquisition, H.Y.F. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
funding acquisition, H.Y.F. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the man-
uscript. This work is supported by Shenzhen Technology and Innovation Council (WDZC202008
Funding:
20160650001).
Funding: This work is supported by Shenzhen Technology and Innovation Council
(WDZC20200820160650001).
Institutional Review Board Statement: Not applicable.
Institutional ReviewThe
Acknowledgments: Board Statement:
authors Not colleagues
thank their applicable. Lei Wang, and Lai Wang from Department
of Electronic Engineering, Tsinghua University, for their kind help toward research work.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Photonics 2022, 9, 211 11 of 11

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