Solar Panel-based Visible Light Communication for Batteryless Systems

TL;DR

This paper introduces a batteryless IoT communication node powered solely by ambient light, utilizing a solar panel as both energy harvester and optical antenna for visible light communication, achieving low power consumption and reliable data reception.

Contribution

It presents a novel integrated system that combines energy harvesting and VLC reception using a solar panel, enabling batteryless, low-power IoT devices.

Findings

Reliable decoding of 32-bit VLC frames at 800 Hz

Consumes less than 2.8 mJ per data reception

Maintains sleep-mode power below 30 μW

Abstract

This paper presents a batteryless wireless communication node for the Internet of Things, powered entirely by ambient light and capable of receiving data through visible light communication. A solar panel serves dual functions as an energy harvester and an optical antenna, capturing modulated signals from LED light sources. A lightweight analog front-end filters and digitizes the signals for an 8-bit low-power processor, which manages the system's operational states based on stored energy levels. The main processor is selectively activated to minimize energy consumption. Data reception is synchronized with the harvester's open-circuit phase, reducing interference and improving signal quality. The prototype reliably decodes 32-bit VLC frames at 800\,Herz, consuming less than 2.8\,mJ, and maintains sleep-mode power below 30\,uW.