## 1 Introduction
That is why we have optimized all power-saving hardware and software settings from the early stages of system development to avoid waste of material and over-consumption of power by tracking units. Another study by [17] presents an overview of the advancements realized in the world of solar tracking systems. They emphasized the performance analysis of dual-axis solar tracking systems equipped with different designs and techniques that have evolved in recent years. Some conclusions drawn in their paper are stated below: the dual-axis solar tracking systems are generally more efficient than their single-axis and fixed counterparts. These systems also demand maintenance due to the presence of rotating components. Furthermore, these systems contain more complex design and control mechanisms. The solar system's performance depends on many physical factors and so does the choice of use of tracking. In this paper, we present the steps of designing and implementing the prototype of a single-axis solar tracker that we designed and built at our university. The design of the single-axis solar tracker has been made by several researchers, as mentioned in the previous summary of the literature. But still, some shortcomings must be avoided to improve the system, especially concerning the geographical parameters of each installation area. Our project was put into reality following the need of our university for this system to be used in the various premises containing PV panels. This necessity forced us to start collecting knowledge in circuit theory, power electronics, microcontrollers, machine electricity, and solar energy to design and simulate the system. The Matlab/Simulink simulation provided an excellent platform to explore different designs for the sun-tracking solar energy system. After testing and verification using simulations, a prototype system was built in the laboratory using our hardware and programs. The university's weather station collects parameters and real-time data on the installation area. Given the high number of models created and the mathematical calculations performed, we present only a part of the scientific result obtained in this paper. Our complete prototype of the single-axis solar tracker is characterized by the fact that it contains in the control circuit a control device assembled and programmed by us in the laboratory to allow the pivoting of the photovoltaic panel and force it to follow the sun's curve. Thus, we have developed our mathematical models allowing translating of the behavior of the components constituting the prototype, such as the model of the direct current motor block (servomotor); the model of the quantity of effective radiation; the model of the sun, and the model of the photovoltaic panel. In particular, our work aims to optimize an existing, designed by us, fully-hardware setup by completely replacing the classic electronic board with the designed software to communicate, using a serial port, with Arduino electronic boards for tracker motors driving. The models were developed using MATLAB/Simulink to track a photovoltaic module and achieve optimal operational efficiency. The multi-controller is programmed to detect sunlight by LDR and operate two actuators to position the solar panel where it can receive maximum sunlight.