Brightness Control in Dynamic Range Constrained Visible Light OFDM Systems

Abstract: Visible light communication (VLC) systems can provide illumination and communication simultaneously via light emitting diodes (LEDs). Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) waveforms transmitted in a VLC system will have high peak-to-average power ratios (PAPRs). Since the transmitting LED is dynamic-range limited, OFDM signal has to be scaled and biased to avoid nonlinear distortion. Brightness control is an essential feature for the illumination function. In this paper, we will analyze the performance of dynamic range constrained visible light OFDM systems with biasing adjustment and pulse width modulation (PWM) methods. We will investigate the trade-off between duty cycle and forward ratio of PWM and find the optimum forward ratio to maximize the achievable ergodic rates.