An Overview of Li-Fi Technology and its Benefits

The Li-Fi (light fidelity) technology was proposed by the German Scientist namely Harald Haas. The main function of this technology is to transmit the data via light. This technology is idyllic for high-speed wireless communication in a restricted region, and it offers many benefits over Wi-Fi technology such as high bandwidth, ease of use, efficiency, and safety. These systems can communicate from street lights to auto-piloted cars using their headlights. As the light speed is superior hence the data communication speed is also faster in the existing system. Furthermore, this technology can be implemented for speedy data access for the laptops, and gadgets that will be transmitted during the beam in a room.

What is LiFi Technology?

Li-Fi-light fidelity is similar to Wi-Fi technology and it is one of the future wireless communication technologies. The main feature of this technology includes fully networked, bidirectional and high-speed wireless. Nowadays, the most trending domain in wireless communication is Wi-Fi and internet users are also being increased every year. For obtaining better speed, efficiency, bandwidth, Li-Fi technology has evolved. The data transmission in this technology can be done using light because the light intensity changes quicker than the human eye for capturing. The range of data transmission in L-Fi is faster 100 times than Wi-Fi.

Block Diagram of Li-Fi System

Li-Fi system mainly includes two parts namely the transmitter and receiver. The input signal at the transmitter section can be modulated with a specific time period then send the data using LED bulbs in 0’s and 1’s form. Here, the flashes of LED bulbs are denoted with 0’s and 1’s. At the receiver end, a photodiode is used to receive the LED flashes strengthens the signal & gives the output.

The block diagram of Li-Fi system is shown below, and the transmitter section includes the input, timer circuit, an LED bulb. The input of the transmitter can be any kind of data like text, voice, etc. The timer circuit in this section is used to provide the necessary time intervals among every bit, and these are transmitted to the receiver end in the form of LED flashes.

The receiver section includes photodiode as well as amplifier. Here, photodiode receives the LED bulb flashes then changes the flashes into electrical signals. Finally, the amplifier receives the signals from the photodiode and amplifies to provide the output.

How Li-Fi Works?

Li-Fi is a VLC (visible light communications) system and the speed of this system is very high. Li-Fi uses normal LEDs to allow the data to transfer and increase the speed up to 224 Gigabits/sec. The data transmission of this technology can be done via illumination. The essential devices of this system are the bright light emitting diodes.

The ON/Off activity of LEDs permits a type of data transmission in the form of binary codes but the human eye cannot recognize this transform & the bulbs appear with a stable intensity.

Differences between Li-Fi & Wi-Fi

The Differences between Li-Fi and Wi-Fi include the following.

• The Bandwidth Expansion of Wi-Fi technology is limited and exceptional for Li-Fi
• The Speed of the Wi-Fi is150 Mbps and >10 Gbps for Li-Fi
• The Data Density of Wi-Fi technology is low and high for Li-Fi
• The Range of Wi-Fi is medium and low for Li-Fi
• The Security of Wi-Fi is medium and excellent for Li-Fi
• The power availability of Wi-Fi is low and high for Li-Fi
• The ecological impact of Wi-Fi is medium and low for Li-Fi
• The cost of the Wi-Fi is medium and low for Li-Fi
• The network topologies of Li-Fi and Wi-Fi technologies is a point to point

Advantages of Li-Fi

The advantages of Li-Fi include the following.

• Speed-The speed of the Li-Fi is very high, and we can watch the videos without buffering.
• Security- The light of the Li-Fi doesn’t run through the partition, therefore, it is more protected and hacking is not possible.
• Risk-free-Li-Fi utilizes light waves which are harmless.
• Consistent- The data transfer is more protected.

Disadvantages of Li-Fi

The disadvantages of Li-Fi include the following.

• Apart from several benefits, the Li-Fi technology is facing several problems. It requires LOS (line of sight), as well as the receiver, would not be a move in inside.
• The main problem is how the receiver will send the data back to the transmitter section.
• Another disadvantage of this technology is an interference of exterior light sources such as normal bulbs; sunlight in the lane of communication will cause intermission in the transmission.
• It doesn’t work in the dim areas.

Li-Fi Technology Applications

The Li-Fi router applications over Wi-Fi are promising as well as unlimited for the wireless communication which includes the following.

• Traffic Management & Road Safety
• Medical Applications
• Aviation
• Communication Underwater
• Elegant Lighting
• Interior map-reading system for blind people
• In dangerous Environments or In Sensitive regions
• Transportations
• Industrial Areas

At present, the concept of Li-Fi technology is attracting a lot of wireless internet users due to its genuine features. Further, it can be explored for laptops; gadgets which can be transmitted through the light in the room by using Li-Fi. Here is a question for you, what are the advantages of Li-Fi over Wi-Fi?