Cascaded PLC-VLC Channel: An Indoor Measurements Campaign

Recently, power-line communication (PLC) technology has been associated with the emerging visible light communication (VLC) technology. PLC technology is matured and has gained from tremendous research contributions over the past years. VLC technology, relatively new, utilizes light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to transmit information through the visible light portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Their hybrid systems are attractive in their ubiquitousness for providing power delivery, illumination, and data transmission. Furthermore, such a hybrid system is cost effective due to its infrastructure already being used for other means. In this paper, we report on channel frequency measurement of a hybrid cascaded PLC–VLC channel. These measurements performed in a laboratory environment demonstrate the influence of power-line activities and the LED supply on the hybrid PLC–VLC channel response. Based on the previous models and the observed behaviors, we present simulation results of a PLC–VLC channel model. In our obtained results, the effect of the LED supply on both channels is emphasized and also considered in the proposed model. Finally, this paper provides an overall characterization, model, and spectral analysis for hybrid PLC–VLC channels, which is critical for effective promotion and mass production of hybrid PLC–VLC systems.