A multi-gigabit/sec integrated multiple input multiple output visible light communication demonstrator

In this paper, we report the performance of an imaging multiple input multiple output (MIMO) visible light communication (VLC) system. The VLC transmitter consists of a two-dimensional, individually addressable Gallium Nitride micro light emitting diode (µLED) array. The receiver uses a two-dimensional avalanche photodiode (APD) array fabricated using complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS). Using integrated CMOS-based LED drivers, a data rate greater than 1 Gbps was obtained at a link distance of 1 m with the system field of view (FOV) of 3.45 degree using four channels. At a reduced link distance of 0.5 m, a data rate of 7.48 Gbps was obtained using a nine channel MIMO system. This demonstrates the feasibility of compact MIMO systems which offer substantial data rates.