MCAST-VLC: um protocolo multicast dinâmico para redes de comunicação por luz visível

Abstract

Wireless networks have been growing since the 2000s, and it is necessary to think of other ways to improve network traffic offloading possibilities and coverage. Current wireless communication systems primarily rely on Wi-Fi solutions, while optical networks such as visible light networks (VLC) are promising alternatives that can address the demand for radio frequency usage. For this reason, we propose the evolution of single-hop optical wireless communication (OWC) to a multi-hop and multicast communication model in VLC environments. MCAST-VLC is a multi-layer dynamic routing protocol for VLC environments, considering some specific characteristics of this area. This proposal includes group management, traffic isolation, and multi-hop route discovery. The protocol was evaluated in a real VLC environment and extended by a mathematical model to investigate its scalability. The results indicate that MCAST-VLC can handle nearly three times as many network flows as a simple unicast VLC approach, with negligible control packet overhead.