This paper deals with design of a photovoltaic emulator, using a programmable DC power supply. The main idea is to reproduce real current-voltage (I − V) characteristic of a photovoltaic array at different values of solar irradiance and cell temperature. The performance of current-mode control strategy, which is well adapted to all operating points of a photovoltaic array, is investigated. The parameters of PI anti-windup current controller are determined by using the step response of DC power supply system to achieve both optimal accuracy and desired time constant. An experimental test bench, based upon a real-time system linked to a 40V/39A programmable DC power supply, is utilized for the assessment of the developed emulator. The obtained results illustrate a good performance of the proposed approach.