Experimental Evaluation of a Hierarchical QAM VLC System

Abstract

Hierarchical modulations have been used for the transmission of digital video broadcasting streams. The main objective is to mitigate the effects of noise on the perceived video quality. It is predicted that by the end of 2022 video streams will constitute 82% of the total Internet traffic. Therefore, the need for new wireless technology of visible light communication (VLC) to support the Internet of things (IoT) as part of the fifth generation (5G) mobile networks, particularly in radio frequency restricted environments. In a VLC system, hierarchical modulations can enhance the perceived quality of video streaming. In this work, for the first time, a hierarchical quadrature amplitude modulation (HQAM) is proposed and experimentally investigated for transmission of an image at the data rate of 8 Mbps. The results show the potential of VLC as an enabling technology for video streaming applications in IoT and 5G networks.