CONTENTS

List of Figures ---------------------------------3

Abstract----------------------------------------4

Introduction-----------------------------------5

Visible light communication---------------6

What is Li-Fi----------------------------------7

Working technology-------------------------8

Main component and working principle-10

Advantages-------------------------------------11

Disadvantages of Li-Fi-----------------------13

Conclusion-------------------------------------15

Acknowledgement----------------------------15

References---------------------------------------16

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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Electromagnetic spectrum---------------------------------5

Figure 2: Data transmission via LEDs -------------------------------6

Figure 3:Working of Li-Fi-----------------------------------------------8
Figure 4: The main component of Li-Fi------------------------------9
Figure 5: The working principle of the Li-Fi------------------------10

Figure 6: Environment with Li-Fi-------------------------------------12

Figure 7: Optical Underwater Communications system ----------13
Figure 8: Smarter Power Plant Using Li-Fi--------------------------13

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ABSTRACT
Nowadays, with the rapid growth of wireless communications the problem of using spectrum
efficiently has become more important. Many solutions have been proposed to solve this
issue; one of these solutions is the usage of visible light frequencies to send data. These
frequencies are already free and unused. Light fidelity (Li-Fi) is a new short range optical
wireless communication technology which provides the connectivity within a local network,
by using Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) to transmit data depending on light illumination
properties. We shall explain in this report the basic foundation of this new technology and its
important applications. Then it should be discussed its challenges and implemented projects
all over the world.

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INTRODUCTION
Li-Fi is transmission of data through illumination by taking the fibre out of fibre optics by
sending data through a LED light bulb that varies in intensity faster than the human eye can
follow. Li-Fi is the term some have used to label the fast and cheap wireless-communication
system, which is the optical version of Wi-Fi. The term was first used in this context by
Harald Haas in his TED Global talk on Visible Light Communication. ―At the heart of this
technology is a new generation of high brightness light-emitting diodes‖, says Harald Haas
from the University of Edinburgh, UK. Very simply, if the LED is on, you transmit a digital 1, if
it‘s off you transmit a 0.Haas says,―They can be switched on and off very quickly, which
gives nice opportunities for transmitted data .It is possible to encode data in the light by
varying the rate at which the LEDs flicker on and off to give different strings of 1s and 0s.The
LED intensity is modulated so rapidly that human eye cannot notice, so the output appears
constant. More sophisticated techniques could dramatically increase VLC data rate. Terms
at the University of Oxford and the University of Edingburgh are focusing on parallel data
transmission using array of LEDs, where each LED transmits a different data stream. Other
group are using mixtures of red, green and blue LEDs to alter the light frequency encoding a
different data channel .Li-Fi, as it has been dubbed, has already achieved blisteringly high
speed in the lab. Researchers at the Heinrich Hertz Institute in Berlin, Germany have
reached data rates of over 500 megabytes per second using a standard white-light LED. The
technology was demonstrated at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas using a
pair of Casio smart phones to exchange data using light of varying intensity given off from
their screens, detectable at a distance of up to ten metres In October 2011 a number of
companies and industry groups formed the Li-F Consortium, to promote high-speed optical
wireless systems and to overcome the limited amount of radio based wireless spectrum
available by exploiting a completely different part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The
consortium believes it is possible to achieve more than 10Gbps, theoretically allowing a
high-definition film to be downloaded in 30 seconds.

VISIBLE LIGHT COMMUNICATION

Many people‘s first exposure to optical wireless technology was VLC. This emerging
technology offers optical wireless communications by using visible light. Today, it is seen as
an alternative to different RF-based communication services in wireless personal-area
networks. An additional opportunity is arising by using current state-of-the-art LED lighting
solutions for illumination and communication at the same time and with the same module.
This can be done due to the ability to modulate LEDs at speeds far faster than the human eye
can detect while still providing artificial lighting.

Thus while LEDs will be used for illumination, their secondary duty could be to piggyback‘
data communication onto lighting systems. This will be particularly relevant in indoor smart‘

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lighting systems, where the light is always ‗on.‘ In contrast to infrared, the so called ―what
you see is what you send‖ feature can be used to improve the usability of transmitting data at
shorter point-to-point distances between different portable or fixed devices. There,
illumination can be used for beam guiding, discovery or generating an alarm for
misalignment.

Figure 1:Electromagnetic spectrum

The premise behind VLC is that because lighting is nearly everywhere, communications can
ride along for nearly free. Think of a TV remote in every LED light bulb and you‘ll soon
realise the possibilities of this technology.

One of the biggest attractions of VLC is the energy saving of LED technology. Nineteen per
cent of the worldwide electricity is used for lighting. Thirty billion light bulbs are in use
worldwide. Assuming that all the light bulbs are exchanged with LEDs, one billion barrels of
oil could be saved every year, which again translates into energy production of 250 nuclear
power plants

Driven by the progress of LED technology, visible light communication is gaining attention
in research and development. The VLC Consortium (VLCC) in Japan was one of the first to
introduce this technology.

After establishing a VLC interest group within the IEEE 802.15 wireless personal-area
networks working group, the IEEE 802.15.7 task group was established by the industry,
research institutes and universities in 2008. The final standard was approved in 2011. It
specifies VLC comprising mobile-to-mobile (M2M), fixed-to-mobile (F2M) and
infrastructure-to-mobile (I2M) communications. There, the focus is on low-speed, medium-
range communications for intelligent traffic systems and on high-speed, short range M2M
and F2M communications to exchange, for example, multimedia data. Data rates are
supported from some 100 kbps up to 100 Mbps using different modulation schemes.

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Other standardization groups are working on standardized optical wireless communication
(OWC) solutions using visible and infrared light. The most important groups are IrDA with
its new 10 Giga-IR working group, ISO and ICSA.

WHAT IS LI-FI?
Li-Fi is a new technology for short range wireless communication system; which is suitable
for data transmission via LEDs by illumination. It uses the visible light, a part of the
electromagnetic spectrum that is still not greatly utilized, instead of RF part.

Professor Harald Haas, the original founder of Li-Fi technology, in his Technology
Entertainment Design (TED) global talk on Li-Fi says: “At the heart of this technology is a
new generation of high brightness LEDs”, he also explains “Very simply, if the LED is on,
you transmit a digital 1, if it’s off you transmit a 0, they can be switched on and off very
quickly, which gives nice opportunities for transmitted data.” It is possible to encode data in
the light by varying the rate at which the LEDs flicker on and off to give different strings of
1s and 0s. Figure 4 illustrates the idea of data transmission using light. The LED intensity is
modulated so rapidly that the human eye cannot notice, so the output appears constant; also
more sophisticated techniques could dramatically increase Li-Fi data rates such as using array
of LEDs, where each LED transmits a different data stream, to provide parallel data
transmission. Other ideas are using mixtures of red, green and blue LEDs to alter the light
frequency encoding a different data channel. In the next paragraphs, we will talk about the
history of the technology, its working principle and its various advantages.

Figure 2:Data transmission via LEDs

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WORKING TECHNOLOGY
VLC uses visible light between 400 THz (780 nm) and 800 THz (375 nm) as optical carrier
for data transmission and illumination. It uses fast pulses of light to transmit information
wirelessly. The main components of this communication system are

1) A high brightness white LED, Which acts as a communication source and

2) A silicon photodiode which shows good response to visible wavelength region serving as
the receiving element.

LED can be switched on and off to generate digital strings of 1s and 0s. Data can be encoded
in the light to generate a new data stream by varying the flickering rate of the LED. To be
clearer, by modulating the LED light with the data signal, the LED illumination can be used
as a communication source. As the flickering rate is so fast, the LED output appears constant
to the human eye. A data rate of greater than 100 Mbps is possible by using high speed LEDs
with appropriate multiplexing techniques. VLC data rate can be increased by parallel data
transmission using LED arrays where each LED transmits a different data stream. There are
reasons to prefer LED as the light source in VLC while a lot of other illumination devices
like fluorescent lamp, incandescent bulb etc. are available.

Very simply, if the LED is on, you transmit a digital 1, if it‘s off you transmit a 0,‖Haas says,
―They can be switched on and off very quickly, which gives nice opportunities for
transmitted data. It is possible to encode data in the light by varying the rate at which the
LEDs flicker on and off to give different strings of 1s and 0s.The LED intensity is modulated
so rapidly that human eye cannot notice, so the output appears constant. More sophisticated
techniques could dramatically increase VLC data rate. Terms at the University of Oxford and
the University of Edingburgh are focusing on parallel data transmission using array of LEDs,
where each LED transmits a different data stream. Other group are using mixtures of red,
green and blue LEDs to alter the light frequency encoding a different data channel. Li-Fi, as it
has been dubbed, has already achieved blisteringly high speed in the lab. Researchers at the
Heinrich Hertz Institute in Berlin Germany, have reached data rates of over 500 megabytes
per second using a standard white-light LED. The technology was demonstrated at the 2012
Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas using a pair of Casio smart phones to exchange

data using light of varying intensity given off from their screens, detectable at a distance of
up to ten metres.

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 Figure 3:Working of Li-Fi

COMPARISON BETWEEN LI-FI AND WI-FI

LI-FI is a term of one used to describe visible light communication technology applied to
high speed wireless communication. It acquired this name due to the similarity to WI-FI, only
using light instead of radio WI-FI is great for general wireless coverage within buildings, and
Li-Fi is ideal for high density wireless data coverage in confined area and for relieving radio
interference issues, so the two technologies can be considered complimentary.

TECHNOLOGY SPEED
WIRED
FIRE WIRE 800 Mbps
USB3.0 5Gbps
WIRELESS
Wi-Fi 150Mbps
BLUETOOTH 3Mbps
WIRELESS(FUTURE)
Wi-Gig 2Gbps
Li-Fi >10Gbps

Table:1 Comparison between current and future wireless technologies

The table also contains the current wireless technologies that can be used for transferring data
between devices today, i.e. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth. Only Wi-Fi currently offers very high data
rates. The IEEE 802.11.n in most implementations provides up to 150Mbit/s (in theory the
standard can go to 600Mbit/s) although in practice you receive considerably less than this.
Note that one out of three of these is an optical technology.

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HOW Li-Fi IS DIFFERENT?
Li-Fi technology is based on LEDs for the transfer of data. The transfer of the data can be
with the help of all kinds of light, no matter the part of the spectrum that they belong. That is,
the light can belong to the invisible, ultraviolet or the visible part of the spectrum. Also, the
speed of the internet is incredibly high and you can download movies, games, music etc in
just a few minutes with the help of this technology. Also, the technology removes limitations
that have been put on the user by the Wi-Fi. You no more need to be in a region that is Wi-Fi
enabled to have access to the internet. You can simply stand under any form of light and surf
the internet as the connection is made in case of any light presence. There cannot be anything
better than this technology.

MAIN COMPONENT AND WORKING PRINCIPLE:

Li-Fi technology is implemented using white LED light bulbs used for illumination by
applying a constant current. However, by fast variations of the current, the light output can be
made to vary at extremely high speeds. If the LED is on, it transmits a digital 1otherwise it
transmits a digital 0. The LEDs can be switched on and off quickly to transmit data that can‟t
be detected by a human eye. [2] So what we need at all for sending data are some LEDs and a
controller that cods data into those LEDs and for receiving data, we need an Image Sensor,
Photodiode which is used as a detector, these components are shown in Figure 4,

Figure 4: The main component of Li-Fi system: LEDs, Photodiode and

Image sensor.

The LED bulb will hold a micro-chip that will do the job of processing the data. The light
intensity can be manipulated to send data by tiny changes in amplitude.

Figure 5 shows the working principle of Li-Fi system, for data transmission; it can be done
by single LED or multi LED. On the receiver side there is a photo detector, which convert
this light into electric signals and it will give the electric signals to the device connected to it.
Voltage regulator and level shifter circuits are used on both sides to convert or maintain a
voltage level between transmitter and receiver.

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 Figure 5: The working principle of the Li-Fi.

ADVANTAGES
Li-Fi is ideal for high density wireless data coverage in confined area and for reducing radio
interference issues. Its features include benefits to the capacity, energy efficiency, safety and
security of a wireless system; now, we will talk briefly about each one of these advantages.

 FASTER DATA TRANSMISSION THAN WI-FI

A primary selling point of Li-Fi technology is that it has a faster data

transmission rate than Wi-Fi. The visible light spectrum has a bandwidth that
is 10000 times larger than the entire radio frequency and microwave spectrum.
Researchers at the University of Oxford have claimed that they successfully
tested an experimental Li-Fi application with a bi-directional speed of 224
gigabits per second. Take note that most Wi-Fi networks transmit data at
around 20 megabits per second and transfer rates are dependent on distance
and interferences. This advantage is the reason why proponents have banked
on Li-Fi as a solution for resolving that issues involving the bandwidth
limitations of Wi-Fi and the growing amount of data produced and consumed
by users.

 SECURITY DUE TO THE LIMITATIONS OF LIGHT

Another notable benefit or advantage of Li-Fi is that it is more secure than Wi-
Fi. Wireless communication technologies based on radio frequency and
microwaves are more vulnerable to eavesdropping, signal hijacking or
unauthorized interception, brute force attacks, and unsolicited network
connections. Remember that light waves cannot penetrate through walls and
doors. They also have a shorter range. The same is true for infrared light and
ultraviolet radiation. The signals emitted by a Li-Fi product and the data it
transmits remain confined within a closed area such as a room or hall. Access

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 to the network is limited. This means that Li-Fi technology offers an added
layer of security than Wi-Fi.

 IMMUNE FROM ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCES

In addition, Li-Fi also has an advantage of being immune from

electromagnetic interferences that affect radio-based wireless communication
technologies. The technology is also useful in areas that are electromagnetic
sensitive such as aircraft cabins, hospitals, and nuclear power plants, among
others because it does not cause electromagnetic interferences. It is important
to note that some medical instruments used in hospitals, as well as the radar
and communication systems in an aircraft are sensitive to radio frequency.

DISADVANTAGES OF LI-FI
 LIMITED RANGE AND CONNECTIVITY

The limitations of the visible light provide Li-Fi with a security advantage
over Wi-Fi. However, these limitations also create disadvantages. Physical
barriers such as walls and doors limit the operational scope of a Li-Fi-enabled
LED lamp. Remember that the data transmitted by a Li-Fi product remains
confined within a close spaced because light cannot penetrate opaque objects
and has a shorter range. In establishments such as house or building, enabled
LED lamps must be strategically placed in rooms, halls, and other sections to
expand the scope of the Li-Fi network. A single Wi-Fi router has wider and
longer range than a Li-Fi router. These limitations of Li-Fi also make it not
ideal for use in public Wi-Fi networks.

 LIGHT INTERFERENCE AND LIGHT POLLUTION

Other disadvantages of Li-Fi are susceptibility to light interference and the

promotion of light pollution. Take note that although this technology is
immune to electromagnetic interferences, other sources of light may interfere
with the signal. Sunlight can interfere with light signals produced by a Li-Fi-
enabled LED lamp. The corresponding receiver may have a hard time
processing these signals. Internet interruption is possible. Furthermore,
because enabled LED lamps must remain on, they can contribute further to
light pollution, especially if set at higher brightness to compensate for possible
interference with other light sources.

 POSSIBLE COST IMPLICATIONS

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 Deploying Li-Fi is theoretically inexpensive because of the small cost
associated with the production of LED lamps. However, installation cost can
be more expensive than Wi-Fi deployment because of the technology is
relatively new and the demand remains low and specialized technicians are
still few. The fact that a single home needs several Li-Fi routers to expand the
scope of the network and the availability of Internet connectivity could also
mean additional purchase and installation costs. Take note that a single Wi-Fi
router is enough for an average-sized house.

LIFE WITH LI-FI

The dramatic growth in the usage of LEDs for lighting provides the opportunity to
incorporate Li-Fi technology into a plethora of LED environments, for instance any lighting
devices like car lights, ceiling lights and street lamps are used as a hotspot which helps us to
lower cost architecture for a hotspot.

This technology is particularly suitable for many popular internet applications; you can
download movies, games and music in just a few minutes with the help of Li-Fi.

Figure 6 shows the environment with the Li-Fi technology where light bulbs are used as a
data communication medium to PC, Laptop and Tablet as it all have photo detector connected
to it as receiver.

Figure 6: Environment with Li-Fi.

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UNDERWATER COMMUNICATIONS

Using RF signals is impractical due to strong signal absorption in water. Li-Fi provides a
solution for short-range communications. Submarines could use their headlamps to
communicate with each other, process data autonomously and send their findings periodically
back to the surface in Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV). Another important
issue is that Li-Fi can even work underwater where Wi-Fi fails completely, thereby it‟s open
for military operations.

Figure 7: Optical Underwater Communications system.

SMARTER POWER PLANTS

Wi-Fi and many other radiation types are bad for sensitive areas. Like those surrounding
power plants. But power plants need fast, inter-connected data systems to monitor things like
demand, grid integrity and (in nuclear plants) core temperature.

Figure 8: Smarter Power Plant Using Li-Fi

AIRWAYS

We have to switch off mobiles in aircrafts to prevent overlapping of mobile phone signals
with navigation and control signals used by aircraft. Li-Fi can be safely used on planes
because it doesn't interfere with RF. Since it Data is present where light is present, we can use
the lights above the seats in the plane as hotspot.

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CONCLUSION

The concept of Li-Fi is currently attracting a great deal of interest, not least because it may
offer a genuine and very efficient alternative to radio-based wireless. As a growing number of
people and their any devices access wireless internet, the airwaves are becoming increasingly
clogged, making it more and more difficult to get a reliable, high-speed signal. This may
solve issues such as the shortage of radio-frequency bandwidth and also allow internet where
traditional radio based wireless isn‘t allowed such as aircraft or hospitals. One of the
shortcomings however is that it only work in direct line of sight.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my deep gratitude to Jayjeet Sarkar, my scientific supervisor, for patient
guidance, enthusiastic encouragement and useful critiques of this work. I would also like to
thank HOD sir, for his advice and assistance in keeping my progress on schedule.

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REFERENCES

1. www.wikisedia.com

2. www.visiblelightcomm.com/

3. http://teleinfobd.blogspot.in/2012/01/what-is-lifi.html

4.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288175446_Overview_Li-Fi_Technology/

5. https://www.profolus.com/topics/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-li-fi/

6. https://www.academia.edu/24850193/seminar_report_on_li_fi?auto_download=true

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