How to Design and Implement a Flicker Noise Filter in MATLAB and Simulink

 Learn how to design a flicker noise filter in MATLAB® and then implement the filter in Simulink®. The purpose of the filter is to generate 1/f noise with a particular noise floor.  

The phenomenon of 1/f noise occurs throughout nature. In mixed-signal systems, 1/f noise is a common noise impairment that places limits on performance. In phase-locked loops, 1/f noise is a very low-frequency impairment that results in a very high-frequency impact. One of the reasons 1/f noise is challenging to remove is that it’s a low-frequency noise, and as such, it cannot be removed by low-pass filtering. High-pass filtering could remove 1/f noise but using it could also negatively impact the signal or bandwidth of interest as well. Systems engineers need to include accurate models of 1/f noise in their simulations so that they can accurately ascertain performance and design countermeasures.  

You will be walked through the filter creation step using only a few lines of MATLAB code. Next, you’ll implement the filter in Simulink using a random source to drive the filter and a network analyzer to measure the filter’s frequency response (in other words, you’ll verify it’s functioning with the correct roll-off and noise floor).  

Note: The terms 1/f noise, pink noise, and flicker noise are used interchangeably throughout this demonstration.  

You can download this example on GitHub® here:  https://github.com/kschutz68/ONE_OVER_F