LIFI replaces WiFi, allowing you to surf the Internet wherever there is light

The most eye-catching high-end industry trend last week was the series of cooperation signed between Dongguan and Tsinghua University. Among them, the LED wireless optical communication project signed by Qinshang Optoelectronics and Tsinghua University has brought a new term to the public. What is optical communication? What impact will it have on Dongguan's LED industry?

　　LIFI instead of WIFI

　　If you want to surf the Internet, you need light. Such a life may not be far away from us, but what is the relationship between surfing the Internet and light? This is what optical communication needs to solve. As a lighting with a "core", LED can have design space in terms of lighting and transmission.

　　"LED wireless optical communication is to transmit data information through LED lighting fixtures, and transmit positioning information containing position signals, so as to solve the problem that the spectrum expansion of wireless communication cannot provide communication and positioning services in areas with limited microwave transmission." The person in charge of Qinshang Optoelectronics introduced, "That is, the light emitted by LED replaces WIFI to achieve data and video image transmission."

　　Professor Harald Haas of the University of Edinburgh in the UK used an LED desk lamp to transmit a video of flowers blooming in a TED global open class for more than a year, showing the world the possibility of visible light transmission. People traditionally use radio waves to transmit data. Harald Haas compared the spectrum of visible light and found that the range that can be used in transmitting data is 10,000 times that of radio waves.

　　So how can this part of visible light be applied to transmission? The answer is LED, Harald Haas said, because LED has more sensitive characteristics than ordinary incandescent lamps and fluorescent lamps, and can adjust brightness at high speed. He further introduced in the open class that the infrared light used in remote controls transmits simple, low-speed data streams, 100,000 data streams per second, which is far from enough for Internet access.

　　What he did was to develop a new technology that uses visible light to transmit a larger data flow. For example, in the video he demonstrated, this has only a very slight effect on the brightness of a desk lamp. This makes it possible for light transmission to become LIFI. Imagine that Dongguan is completely replaced with LED street lights, and more and more homes use LEDs. In addition to saving energy, this type of lighting can also allow people to enjoy information services in places with light.

　　Tsinghua R&D industrialization in Dongguan

　　"The LED chips used in visible light communication should be different from the current chips for pure lighting and need to be redesigned and modified." Shi Guangdian, deputy general manager of Shenlait Optoelectronics, predicts that visible light communication may bring new situations and new market demands for LEDs.

　　In fact, such a communication method was analyzed and studied by Japanese scientists as early as 2000. However, according to Wei Shaojun, chairman of the IC-related branch of the China Semiconductor Industry Association and director of the Institute of Microelectronics at Tsinghua University, this project is a brand new field in the world and is still in the R&D stage in China. It will take some time before it can be industrialized. On the other hand, there are still many hills to be conquered.

　　This project is applied in the municipal industry, and LED optical communication products can be used for traffic diversion and positioning; in the automotive industry, LED optical communication products can be used for communication between headlights when cars meet, vehicle collision avoidance, and assisted driving; in the communications industry, LIFI can be used to replace WIFI wireless communication, etc.

　　The person in charge of Qinshang Optoelectronics said, "LED wireless optical communication will greatly increase the technological added value of the LED lighting industry. Conservative estimates show that each industry will drive a market of at least several billion dollars." Currently, Qinshang and Tsinghua University have carried out technical research and development and industry-university-research cooperation on LED visible light positioning systems and communication systems, and formed a consortium to jointly apply for the 2013 Guangdong Province Industry-University-Research Cooperation Special Fund Project.

　　[Influence]

　　LED may have a new world

　　At the beginning of the month, Shenzhen abolished its LED industry plan, which was bad news for the LED lighting industry, which was already experiencing overcapacity. Dongguan not only insisted on the LED industry direction at this time, but also signed a "Memorandum of Understanding on Further Scientific Research Cooperation in the Field of Optical Communications" with Tsinghua University, which the industry believes is a move to enter a new battlefield.

　　"LED chip technology is mastered by foreign countries, so many domestic LED manufacturing industries are just simple reproduction and packaging, low-level repetitive labor with low profits." Wei Shaojun believes that it is time for scientific research teams and entrepreneurs to use their brains to find differentiated development, "a little deviation may lead to a new world."

　　Optical communication will be a new field for LED chips. Wei Shaojun learned that there are not many institutions in the country that have the ability and practice to conduct optical communication research. This time, Qinshang and Tsinghua University reached a number of consensuses on cooperative technology research, product development, etc., striving to become an industrialization base for national science and technology projects such as the 973 Program and the 863 Program in the field of optical communication.

　　However, any new technology has development risks, such as poor industrialization results, or the photovoltaic industry, which was launched in a rush in various places, resulting in overcapacity due to the lack of support. Wei Shaojun believes that LED optical communications must also prevent a rush, but Dongguan was able to see the prospects of this industry when it was just emerging in China, and built an industry-university-research framework to carry out research and development. In this respect, "Dongguan has a good vision."