This paper discusses the development of real-time simulation platform using digital signal processor (DSP) for photovoltaic (PV) system to study maximum power tracking algorithms in the laboratory. In this paper, PV module is simulated and deployed in TMS320F28335 to emulate the characteristics of PV at different temperature and irradiation with two DC voltage source. Further, maximum power point tracking (MPPT) of PV module with statistical method is developed. In order to evaluate the performance of the proposed MPPT control algorithm, the authors propose a real-time PV simulation system consisting of a PV module with a buck converter using a DSP and two DC voltage source to emulate the temperature and irradiation. Further, the proposed statistical MPPT is compared with the performance of the existing perturb and observe MPPT algorithm. Also, the performance of MPPT algorithms is tested with PV and a buck converter at different temperature and irradiation using hypothetical source. This scheme is validated with that of standard conditions given on the PV data sheet. This work may enable more researchers to study the integration of renewable energy sources and power electronics circuits at a low-cost without damaging the system. © Institution of Engineers Australia, 2015.