Experimental Validation of Solar Panel Communication with Various Phase Shift Keying Modulation Schemes for Light Communication

High-speed data transmission and energy-efficient networks are crucial for connecting the world through intelligent communication. Light communication offers high-speed data transfer and is cost-effective due to the vast unlicensed spectrum available. However, there are some challenges at the receiver as it requires an external power supply to operate, and the small area leads to limited orientation and causes misalignment issues. By integrating photovoltaic technology with communication systems, solar panels can resolve the challenges posed by conventional photodiodes and can also serve dual purposes, capturing both solar energy and data signals. This paper presents a bidirectional light communication link to receive information over solar panels. Solar panels convert optical signals into their equivalent electrical form, but their 3-dB bandwidth is limited to a few tens of $\mathbf{k H z}$. To address this limitation, we have designed and experimentally validated an analog circuit that enhances the bandwidth of solar panel-based receivers to 3.07 MHz. The performance comparison with and without designed circuitry is shown, and results are compiled in the form of constellation diagrams with different modulation orders and the transition of the received waveform. The successful recovery of 16 PSK modulation with 32 samples/symbol is obtained.