An SDR-Based Testbed for Extending the Physical Layer of LR-WPAN Architectures using VLC

In this work, we present the first steps towards the use of visible light communications (VLC) as an extension of the physical layer of low-rate wireless personal area network architectures for indoor links. We present a testbed using a software-defined radio (SDR) platform, i.e., the ADALMPLUTO active learning module, to transmit and receive low-rate signals in the VHF band and a media converter to introduce them in a VLC link. We report error-free detection up to 1 m using a lens in the transmitter to reduce the beam width to 5 degrees.