In this article, we proposed a new flicker noise simulation methodology within an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) PHY layer, which offers accurate analyses of the flicker noise effect.To prove this effect, we examine bit error rate performance with flicker noise by generating raw and channel-coded data. Experiment results are demonstrated using Reed Solomon channel coding. The proposed simulation methodology offers precise results for deciding flicker noise requirement on RF building blocks for OFDM systems. (c) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:11711174, 2013; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.27502