Selection Relay-Based RF-VLC Underwater Communication System

Visible light communication (VLC) has become recently attracted a renewed communication trade in underwater environment. However, the deployment of underwater applications and oceanographic data collection is more challenging than a terrestrial basis communication. In this regard, a more sophisticated communication system needs to deploy in harsh aqueous medium. Afterward, collected data transmits with the inland base station for further analysis. The necessity of real-time data streaming for military and scientific purposes a dual-hop hybrid cooperative communication is needed. Throughout this research, a dual-hop hybrid RF and underwater visible light (UVLC) relayed communication system developed under consideration of strong turbulence channel conditions along with miss-alignment of transceivers. Moreover, RF link is modeled by nakagami-m fading distribution, while the UVLC link is modeled by Gamma-Gamma distribution for strong turbulence channel conditions. Furthermore, an amplify-and-forward (AF) and decode-and-forward (DF) protocols were considered to assist information transmission with underwater-based destination. The simulation results are used to analyze RF-UVLC link combination and bit error rate (BER) performance through both AF and DF signal protocols in different waters along with the large- and small-scale factors in highly turbid water mediums and pointing errors of the propagated light beam. We used to Monte Carlo approach for the best fitting curves to yield simulation results.