Research in Visible Light Communication Systems with OpenVLC1.3

In this paper, we present the design and implementation of our latest OpenVLC1.3 platform to perform research in Visible Light Communication Systems. We retain the advantages of the previous versions such as TCP/IP layers support, software programmability and low-cost front-end. We re-design the transceiver to support higher modulation rates and sensitivity. This allows us to reach a throughput of 400 kb/s (a factor of 4 with respect to the previous version) and increase the distance by a factor of 3.5. We further improve the software robustness of the system and reduce the form factor at similar hardware cost.