Abstract: With the rapid development of photovoltaic power generation technology, how to improve the utilization efficiency of photovoltaic cells has become a key focus of current research. Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technology can effectively enhance the utilization efficiency of photovoltaic cells and has received significant attention from the academic community worldwide. Based on an in-depth study of the output characteristics of photovoltaic cells, this paper analyzes the principles, advantages, and disadvantages of the perturbation observation method. To address the limitations of the perturbation observation method, an adaptive variable step size perturbation observation method is proposed. Simulation results in the Matlab/Simulink environment demonstrate that this algorithm can quickly and stably track the MPP, and can rapidly track a new MPP under sudden changes in light intensity, exhibiting good dynamic response capabilities.