Visible Light Communication Applied to Low Cost Embedded Systems

The growing and continuous evolution of communication around the world, mainly due to the Internet of Things, has brought new perspectives on techniques for exchanging data. Visible Light Communication (VLC), a technology that uses Light-Emitting-Diodes (LEDs) modulation to send data, has become an alternative to radiofrequency, since its bandwidth is becoming scarce. This article proposes a didactic application of VLC using low-cost embedded systems, like off-the-shelf components and two Arduinos UNO. In addition, this application features On-Off Keying (OOK) modulation and Manchester Code as techniques for sending data and calculating the checksum for verifying the message correctness. In this approach, we reach a communication rate of 500 bps, at a distance of 40 cm. In addition, all hardware design e software code were provided.