2015-16

Li-Fi Technology

VISVESVARAYA TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY, BELAGAVI

A Seminar Report On

Li-Fi Technology

Submitted By
ASHWATH A

4NI13IS020

Under the guidance of

Mrs.C.K Vanamala
Associate Professor
Dept of ISE
NIE, Mysore

The National Institute of Engineering

(Autonomous Institution)

Department of Information Science and Engineering MYSORE 570008

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Li-Fi Technology

THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING

MYSORE-570008

Department of Information Science and Engineering

Certificate
Certifies that the seminar work entitled Li-Fi Technology is a work carried out by
ASHWATH A bearing 4NI13IS020 in partial fulfilment for the seminar prescribed by National
Institute Of Engineering, Autonomous Institution under Vishvesvaraya Technological
University, Belagavi, for the Eighth Semester B.E Information Science & Engineering. It is
certified that all correction/suggestions indicated for Internal Assessment have been
incorporated. The Seminar report has been approved as it satisfies the academic requirements in
respect of the seminar work prescribed for the Eight Semester.

Signature of Guide
(Mr. Guide)

Dept of Information Science and Engineering

Signature of HOD
(Dr. K. Raghuveer)

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Li-Fi Technology

ABSTRACT

Li-Fi is a new wireless technology to provide the connectivity with in localized network
environment. The main principle of this technology is we can transmit the data using light
illumination by using light-emitting diodes where radio frequency is media in Wi-Fi and
LED bulb light intensity is faster than human eye can follow. Prof Harald Haas an expert in
optical wireless communications at the University of Edinburgh, he was demonstrated how
an LED bulb equipped with signal processing technology could stream a high-definition
video to a computer. By using this technology a one- watt LED light bulb would be enough
to provide net connectivity to four computers. He coined the term "light fidelity" or li-fi
and set up a private company, Pure VLC, to exploit the technology. . He envisions a future
where data for laptops, smart phones, and tablets is transmitted through the light in a room.
And security would be snap if you cant see the light, you cant access the data.
Keywords: Li-fi, Wi-fi, LED, VLC.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The seminar report on Li-Fi Technology is outcome of guidance, moral support
and devotion bestowed on me throughout my work. For this I acknowledge and express
my profound sense of gratitude and thanks to everybody who have been a source of
inspiration during the seminar preparation.
First and foremost I offer our sincere phrases of thanks with innate humility to Mrs.C.K
Vanamala, Associate Professor of National Institute of Engineering, Bareilly and guide of
my seminar for providing help whenever needed.
If I can say in words I must at the outset tender our intimacy for receipt of affectionate
care to National Institute of Engineering for providing such a stimulating atmosphere and
wonderful work environment.
ASHWATH A

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Li-Fi Technology

CONTENTS
Page No
1. Introduction

1.1 Objective

1.2 Scope of Li-Fi

1.3 System Analysis

1.3.Wi-Fi Technology

1.3.2 Disadvantages of Wi-Fi

1.4 Li-Fi Technology
1.4.1 Advantages of Li-FI

2. Literature survey

8
8
8

2.1 Wi-Fi

2.2 Li-Fi

3. Genesis of Li-Fi

10

4.Li-Fi Requirements and Specification

11

4.1 Requirements

11

5. Li-Fi Architecture

12

5.1 Basic Architecture

12

5.2 Function of the Bulb

13

6. Working Principle of Li-Fi

14-16

7. Applications of Li-Fi

17-19

8. Lifi vs Wi-fi

20

9. Conclusion

21

References

21

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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure
no.
2.2

3.1a

Figure
Description
Li-Fi as a superset of different optical
wireless technologies involving communication,
positioning, natural user interfaces and many more.

Page no.
9

Harald haas

10

LED

10

3.1b
4.1a
Requirements of Li-Fi

11

5.1a

Basic Architecture

12

5.2a

Functionality of Bulb

13

6.1a

Visible light communication (VLC)

15

6.1b

Typical Example of Visible light

communication: Use of LED
illumination as a transmitter

16

8.1a

Lifi vs Wifi

20

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Li-Fi Technology

Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION
LiFi is transmission of data through illumination by taking the fiber out of fiber optics by
sending data through a LED light bulb that varies in intensity faster than the human eye can
follow.Li-Fi is the term some have used to label the fast and cheap wireless-communication
system, which is the optical version of Wi-Fi.

The term was first used in this context by Harald Haas in his TED Global talk on Visible Light
Communication. At the heart of this technology is a new generation of high brightness lightemitting diodes, says Harald Haas from the University of Edinburgh, UK,Very simply, if the
LED is on, you transmit a digital 1, if its off you transmit a 0,Haas says, They can be switched
on and off very quickly, which gives nice opportunities for transmitted data.It is possible to
encode data in the light by varying the rate at which the LEDs flicker on and off to give different
strings of 1s and 0s.

University of Oxford and the University of Edingburgh are focusing on parallel data
transmission using array of LEDs, where each LED transmits a different data stream. Other
group are using mixtures of red, green and blue LEDs to alter the light frequency encoding a
different data channel.Li-Fi, as it has been dubbed, has already achieved blisteringly high speed
in the lab. Researchers at the Heinrich Hertz Institute in Berlin,Germany,have reached data rates
of over 500 megabytes per second using a standard white-light LED.
In October 2011 a number of companies and industry groups formed the Li-Fi Consortium, to
promote high-speed optical wireless systems and to overcome the limited amount of radio-based
wireless spectrum available by exploiting a completely different part of the electromagnetic
spectrum. The consortium believes it is possible to achieve more than 10 Gbps, theoretically
allowing a high-definition film to be downloaded in 30 seconds.

1.1OBJECTIVE

Issues regarding radio spectrum,such as capacity, availability,efficiency, security are

solved using LIFI

To increase the Speed of Data Transmission(upto 100gbps).

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1.2 SCOPE OF Li-Fi

Given the bandwidth crunch being faced, Li-Fi provides a great solution as it uses optical
spectrum instead of radio spectrum. Also, LED-based technology is tantalizingly close tosolving both
the indoor location problem (accuracy and information update intervals) and also high speed data
communications, using an infrastructure that has already been deployed primarily for lighting purposes.
Despite a number of fundamental barriers, companies can see the benefits of ubiquitous indoor centimeter
level accuracy with millisecond updates that Li-Fi is promising.

1.3 System Analysis

1.3.1 Wifi technology
Wi-Fi is to hide complexity by enabling wireless access to applications and data, media and
streams

It uses radio waves to transmit the data.

Through wifi Technology we can transfer data in terms of kbps/mbps.
1.3.2Disadvantages of wifi technology

Wi-Fi has a limited radius of action and it is suitable for home networking, which is more
dependent on the environment.

Data Reliability,speed,Accuracy are less in Wifi as it make use of Radio waves.

1.4 lifi technology

Light Based Wifi .

Light is used instead of radio-waves to transmit information
Transceiver fitted LED lamps acts like Wi-Fi modems
LED lamps can light a room as well as transmit-receive information
Provides illumination as well as data communication

1.4.1 Advantages in lifi technology

Li- Fi uses light rather than radio frequency signals so are intolerant to disturbances.

Li-Fi ensures reliability,accuracy,and high speed.

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Li-Fi Technology

Chapter 2

LITERATURE SURVEY
2.1 wi-Fi
Most of us are familiar with Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity), which uses 2.4-5GHz RF to deliver
wireless Internet acess around our homes, schools, offices and in public places. We have become quite
dependent upon this nearly ubiquitous service. But like most technologies, it has its limitations.

Disadvantage
While Wi-Fi can cover an entire house, its bandwidth is typically limited to 50-10 megabits per
second (Mbps) today using the IEEE802.1n standard. This is a good match to the speed of most current
Internet services, but insufficient for moving large data files like HDTV movies, music libraries and video
games.
The more we become dependent upon the cloud or our own media servers to store all of our files,
including movies, music, pictures and games, the more we will want bandwidth and speed. Therefore RFbased technologies such as todays Wi-Fi are not the optimal way. In addition, Wi-Fi may not be the most
efficient way to provide new desired capabilities such as precision indoor positioning and gesture
recognition.

2.2 Li-Fi
Optical wireless technologies, sometimes called visible light communication (VLC), and more
recently referred to as Li-Fi (Light Fidelity), on the other hand, offer an entirely new paradigm in wireless
technologies in terms of communication speed, flexibility and usability.

Fig. 2.2: Li-Fi as a superset of different optical wireless technologies involving communication, positioning, natural user
interfaces and many more.

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Li-Fi Technology

Chapter 3
Genesis of Li-Fi

Harald Haas, a professor at the University of Edinburgh who began his research in the field in
2004, gave a debut demonstration of what he called a Li-Fi prototype at the TEDGlobal conference in
Edinburgh on 12th July 2011. He used a table lamp with an LED bulb to transmit a video of blooming
flowers that was then projected onto a screen behind him. During the event he periodically blocked the
light from lamp to prove that the lamp was indeed the source of incoming data. At TEDGlobal, Haas
demonstrated a data rate of transmission of around 10Mbps -- comparable to a fairly good UK broadband
connection. Two months later he achieved 123Mbps.

3.1a Harald haas

Back in 2011 German scientists succeeded in creating an800Mbps (Megabits per second) capable
wireless network by using nothing more than normal red, blue, green and white LED light bulbs (here),
thus the idea has been around for awhile and various other global teams are also exploring the
possibilities.
Fig 3.1b LED

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Li-Fi Technology

Chapter 4

LiFi Requirements and Specification

Li-Fi is typically implemented using white LED light bulbs at the downlink transmitter. These
devices are normally used for illumination only by applying a constant current. However, by fast and
subtle variations of the current, the optical output can be made to vary at extremely high speeds. This very
property of optical current is used in Li-Fi setup. The operational procedure is very simple-, if the LED is
on, you transmit a digital 1, if its off you transmit a 0. The LEDs can be switched on and off very
quickly, which gives nice opportunities for transmitting data. Hence all that is required is some LEDs and
a controller that code data into those LEDs. All one has to do is to vary the rate at which the LEDs flicker
depending upon the data we want to encode. Further enhancements can be made in this method, like using
an array of LEDs for parallel data transmission, or using mixtures of red, green and blue LEDs to alter the
lights frequency with each frequency encoding a different data channel. Such advancements promise a
theoretical speed of 10 Gbps meaning one can download a full high-definition film in just 30 seconds..

4.1 Requirements
Bulb
RF power amplifier circuit (PA)
Printed circuit board (PCB)
Enclosure
fig4.1a Requirements Li-Fi

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Li-Fi Technology

Chapter 5

Li-Fi ARCHITECTURE
5.1 Basic Architecture

Fig 5.1a
The PCB controls the electrical inputs and outputs of the lamp and houses the microcontroller used to
manage different lamp functions.
An RF (radio-frequency) signal is generated by the solid-state PA and is guided into an electric field
about the bulb.
The high concentration of energy in the electric field vaporizes the contents of the bulb to a plasma state
at the bulbs center; this controlled plasma generates an intense source of light.
All of these subassemblies are contained in an aluminum enclosure.

5.2 FUNCTION OF THE BULB:At the heart of LIFI is the bulb sub-assembly where a sealed bulb is embedded in a dielectric material.
This design is more reliable than conventional light sources that insert degradable electrodes into the bulb.
The dielectric material serves two purposes; first as a waveguide for the RF energy transmitted by the PA
and second as an electric field concentrator that focuses energy in the bulb. The energy from the electric
field rapidly heats the material in the bulb to a plasma state that emits light of high intensity and full
spectrum.
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Li-Fi Technology

Fig 5.2a functionality of Bulb

To further get a grasp of Li-Fi consider an IR remote.(fig 3.3). It sends a single data stream of bits
at the rate of 10,000-20,000 bps. Now replace the IR LED with a Light Box containing a large LED array.
This system, fig 3.4, is capable of sending thousands of such streams at very fast rate.

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Li-Fi Technology

CHAPTER 6

Working Prinicple of Li-fi

This brilliant idea was first showcased by Harald Haas from University of Edinburgh, UK, in his TED
Global talk on VLC. He explained, Very simple, if the LED is on, you transmit a digital 1, if its off you
transmit a 0. The LEDs can be switched on and off very quickly, which gives nice opportunities for
transmitting data. So what you require at all are some LEDs and a controller that code data into those
LEDs. We have to just vary the rate at which the LEDs flicker depending upon the data we want to
encode. Further enhancements can be made in this method, like using an array of LEDs for parallel data
transmission, or using mixtures of red, green and blue LEDs to alter the lights frequency with each
frequency encoding a different data channel. Such advancements promise a theoretical speed of 10 Gbps
meaning you can download a full high-definition film in just 30 seconds. Simply awesome! But blazingly
fast data rates and depleting bandwidths worldwide are not the only reasons that give this technology an
upper hand. Since Li-Fi uses just the light, it can be used safely in aircrafts and hospitals that are prone to
interference from radio waves. This can even work underwater where Wi-Fi fails completely, thereby
throwing open endless opportunities for military operations.
Imagine only needing to hover under a street lamp to get public internet access, or
downloading a movie from the lamp on your desk. There's a new technology on the block which could,
quite literally as well as metaphorically, 'throw light on' how to meet the ever-increasing demand for highspeed wireless connectivity. Radio waves are replaced by light waves in a new method of data
transmission which is being called Li-Fi.Light-emitting diodes can be switched on and off faster than the
human eye can detect, causing the light source to appear to be on continuously. Light-emitting diodes
(commonly referred to as LEDs and found in traffic and street lights, car brake lights, remote control units
and countless other applications) can be switched on and off faster than the human eye can detect, causing
the light source to appear to be on continuously, even though it is in fact 'flickering'. This invisible on-off
activity enables a kind of data transmission using binary codes: switching on an LED is a logical '1',
switching it off is a logical '0'. Information can therefore be encoded in the light by varying the rate at
which the LEDs flicker on and off to give different strings of 1s and 0s. This method of using rapid pulses
of light to transmit information wirelessly is technically referred to as Visible Light Communication
(VLC), though its potential to compete withconventional Wi-Fi has inspired the popular characterization
Li-Fi.
Visible light communication (VLC)-A potential solution to the global wireless spectrum shortage
LiFi (Light Fidelity) is a fast and cheap optical version of Wi-Fi, the technology of which is based on
Visible Light Communication (VLC).VLC is a data communication medium, which uses visible light
between 400 THz (780 nm) and 800 THz (375 nm) as optical carrier for data transmission and
illumination. It uses fast pulses of light to transmit information wirelessly. The main components of this
communication system are 1) a high brightness white LED, Which acts as a communication source and 2)
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a silicon photodiode which shows good response to visible wavelength region serving as the receiving
element? LED can be switched on and off to generate digital strings of 1s and 0s. Data can be encoded in
the light to generate a new data stream by varying the flickering rate of the LED.
To be clearer, by modulating the LED light with the data signal, the LED illumination can be used
as a communication source. As the flickering rate is so fast, the LED output appears constant to the
human eye. A data rate of greater than 100 Mbps is possible by using high speed LEDs with appropriate
multiplexing techniques. VLC data rate can be increased by parallel data transmission using LED arrays
where each LED transmits a different data stream. There are reasons to prefer LED as the light source in
VLC while a lot of other illumination devices like fluorescent lamp, incandescent bulb etc. are available.

6.1aVisible light communication (VLC)-A potential solution to the global wireless spectrum shortage

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Fig. 6.1b Typical Example of Visible light communication: Use of LED illumination as a transmitter

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Chapter 7
APPLICATIONS OF Li-Fi Technology
Airways:-

Whenever we travel through airways we face the problem in communication media ,because the
whole airways communication are performed on the basis of radio waves.
To overcomes this drawback on radioways ,li-fi is introduce.

Green information technology:Green information technology means that unlike radiowaves and other communication waves
affects on the birds , human bodys etc. Li-Fi never gives such side effects on any living thing.

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Free From Frequency Bandwidth Problem:Li-fi is an communication media in the form of light ,so no matter about the frequency bandwidth
problem . It does not require the any bandwidth spectrum i.e. we dont need to pay any amount for
communication and licence.

Increase Communication Safety:Due to visual light communication , the node or any terminal attach to our network is visible to the
host of network .

Multi User Communication:Li-Fi supports the broadcasting of network , it helps to share multiple thing at a single instance
called broadcasting.

Lightings Points Used as Hotspot:Any lightings device is performed as a hotspot it means that the light device like car lights, ceiling
lights , street lamps etc area able to spread internet connectivity using visual light communication.
Which helps us to low cost architecture for hotspot.
Hotspot is an limited region in which some amount of device can access the internet
connectivity .

Smarter Power Plants:Wi-Fi and many other radiation types are bad for sensitive areas.
Like those surrounding power plants. But power plants need fast, inter-connected data
systems to monitor things like demand, grid integrity and (in nuclear plants) core temperature.
The savings from proper monitoring at a single power plant can add up to hundreds of
thousands of dollars. Li-Fi could offer safe, abundant connectivity for all areas of these
sensitive locations. Not only would this save money related to currently implemented
solutions, but the draw on a power plants own reserves could be lessened if they havent yet
converted to LED lighting.

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Undersea Awesomeness:Underwater ROVs, those favourite toys of treasure seekers and James Cameron, operate from
large cables that supply their power and allow them to receive signals from their pilots above. ROVs work
great, except when the tether isnt long enough to explore an area, or when it gets stuck on something.If
their wires were cut and replaced with light say from a submerged, high-powered lamp then they
would be much freer to explore. They could also use their headlamps to communicate with each other,
processing data autonomously and referring findings periodically back to the surface, all the while
obtaining their next batch of orders.

It Could Keep You Informed and Save Lives

Say theres an earthquake in New York. Or a hurricane. Take your pick its a wacky city. The average
New Yorker may not know what the protocols are for those kinds of disasters. Until they pass under a
street light, that is. Remember, with Li-Fi, if theres light, youre online. Subway stations and tunnels,
common dead zones for most emergency communications, pose no obstruction. Plus, in times less
stressing cities could opt to provide cheap high-speed Web access to every street corner.
USES IN VARIOUS AREAS

Can be used in the places where it is difficult to lay the optical fiber like hospitals. In operation theatre
LiFi can be used for modern medical instruments. In traffic signals LiFi can be used which will
communicate with the LED lights of the cars and accident numbers can be decreased. Thousand and
millions of street lamps can be transferred to LiFi lamps tob transfer data. In aircraft LiFi can be used for
data transmission.
It can be used in petroleum or chemical plants where other transmission or frequencies could be
hazardous.

Advantages
High Security
Easy To Use
Fast Data Transfer
Reliable
Harmless ness
Low Cost

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Chapter 8
Li-fi vs Wi-fi
LI-FI is a term of one used to describe visible light communication technology applied to high speed
wireless communication. It acquired this name due to the similarity to WI-FI, only using light instead of
radio.WI-FI is great for general wireless coverage within buildings, and li-fi is ideal for high density
wireless data coverage in confined area and for relieving radio interference issues, so the two technologies
can be considered complimentary.
TECHNOLOGY

SPEED

DATA INTENSITY

Wi-Fi IEEE
802.11n

150 Mbps

Bluetooth
IrDA
Wireless(future)
WiGig
Giga-IR
Li-Fi >

3 Mbps
4 Mbps

*
***

2 Gbps
1 Gbps
1Gbps

**
***
****

Wireless(current)

The table also contains the current wireless technologies that can be used for transferring data between
devices today, i.e. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and IrDA. Only Wi-Fi currently offers very high data rates. The IEEE
802.11.n in most implementations provides up to 150Mbit/s (in theory the standard can go to 600Mbit/s)
although in practice you receive considerably less than this. Note that one out of three of these is an
optical technology.

Fig 8.1 Lifi vs Wifi

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Chapter 9

CONCLUSION
The possibilities are numerous and can be explored further. If his technology can be put into practical use,
every bulb can be used something like a Wi-Fi hotspot to transmit wireless data and we will proceed
toward the cleaner, greener, safer and brighter future. The concept of Li-Fi is currently attracting a great
deal of interest, not least because it may offer a genuine and very efficient alternative to radio-based
wireless. As a growing number of people and their many devices access wireless internet, the airwaves are
becoming increasingly logged, making it more and more difficult to get a reliable, high-speed signal. This
may solve issues such as the shortage of radio-frequency bandwidth and also allow internet where
traditional radio based wireless isnt allowed such as aircraft or hospitals. One of the shortcomings
however is that it only work in direct line of sight.

References
1:- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/Now-just-light-a-bulb-to-switch-on-yourbroadband/articleshow/9713554.cms
2:- http://oledcomm.com/lifi.html
3:- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li-Fi

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