Inter-Symbol Interference and Silicon Photomultiplier VLC Receivers in Ambient Light

Results of an investigation into the performance of a wide field of view silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) receiver under ambient light are reported. During these investigations a new form of inter-symbol interference (ISI) was discovered, which can be attributed to saturation of the SiPM. This new form of ISI means that using decision feedback equalization (DFE) improves the receiver’s performance at low data rates.