International Journal of Power Electronics and Drive Systems (IJPEDS) Vol. 16, No. 1, March 2025, pp. 448~456 ISSN: 2088-8694, DOI: 10.11591/ijpeds.v16.i1.pp448-456  448 Journal homepage: http://ijpeds.iaescore.com Design and implementation of PV emulator based on synchronous buck converter using Arduino Nano microcontroller Ahmad Saudi Samosir, Herri Gusmedi, Alfin Fitrohul Huda Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Universitas Lampung, Bandar Lampung, Indonesia Article Info ABSTRACT Article history: Received Aug 20, 2024 Revised Nov 1, 2024 Accepted Dec 26, 2024 This paper discusses the comprehensive design and implementation of a photovoltaic (PV) emulator hardware using a synchronous buck converter. The primary objective is to simulate the electrical characteristics of a real PV module under varying environmental conditions. The process involves detailed simulations carried out using MATLAB/Simulink software to evaluate the performance and accuracy of the emulator model. Various load values were tested to account for the impact of fluctuations in radiation and temperature. The accuracy of the emulator's output characteristics was validated by comparing them with the actual attributes of the SolarWorld Sun- module SW50 PV module. The final step involves constructing the hardware of the PV emulator using electronic components, with an Arduino Nano employed as the controller. Keywords: Arduino Nano Buck converter MATLAB/Simulink PV emulator Solar panel This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA license. Corresponding Author: Ahmad Saudi Samosir Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Universitas Lampung Sumantri Brojonegoro St., No. 1, Bandar Lampung, Lampung 35145, Indonesia Email: ahmad.saudi@eng.unila.ac.id, saudi.ahmad@gmail.com 1. INTRODUCTION The growing interest in renewable energy sources has increased the need for efficient and accurate simulation tools to aid the development and testing of photovoltaic systems. One tool that is widely used for this purpose is the photovoltaic (PV) emulator [1]-[5]. The development and application of PV emulators have received great attention in recent years, especially due to increasing research on renewable energy systems and the need for efficient test platforms. PV emulators are designed to mimic the electrical characteristics of solar panels in a variety of environmental conditions without requiring actual sunlight. This enables consistent and repeatable testing of PV systems, including inverters, converters, and other associated electronic devices [6]. PV emulators can be categorized into three main types: analog, digital, and hybrid [7], [8]. Analog PV emulators use analog circuitry to emulate the I-V characteristics of solar panels. These emulators are usually simple and fast but lack flexibility in adapting to different conditions [9]. In contrast, digital PV emulators use a digital signal processor (DSP) or microcontroller to simulate PV characteristics [10]. They offer greater flexibility and precision, enabling the emulation of dynamic environmental conditions such as radiation and temperature variations. Hybrid PV emulators combine analog and digital components to take advantage of both advantages [11]. They offer high performance and adaptability, although they may be more complex and expensive to implement. To develop accurate PV cell models, extensive research has focused on modeling and simulation using software tools like MATLAB/Simulink and PSpice [12], [13]. Such models are crucial for creating digital emulators that can replicate the I-V characteristics of PV panels under various environmental conditions [14], [15]. For hardware implementation, researchers frequently employ field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and microcontrollers to build PV emulators [16]. This approach underscores the trade-offs