Black screen on start-up? The importance of power cycle stability in Panel PCs

Have you ever turned on a Panel PC and, despite the system booting up, the screen remains frustratingly black? This annoying issue, although not very frequent, can undermine the end-user’s confidence in the quality and reliability of the product. For an “all-in-one” integrated system like an industrial Panel PC, the perfect functionality of the display at every single power-on is not an option, but a fundamental requirement.

The problem: a costly imprecision

The cause of a missing video output can often be traced back to a slight imprecision in the communication between the display and the motherboard during the startup phase. Even if the rest of the system is working correctly, the user’s perception is that of a broken or low-quality device. This problem, even if it occurs only a few times over thousands of power cycles, can generate doubt and mistrust, especially in an industrial context where reliability is everything.

Our solution: validation tests for 100% stability

At TPole, we take this issue very seriously. To ensure that every one of our Panel PCs is infallible, we have integrated a specific session into our validation tests to verify display stability. Through an automated process, we subject the devices to thousands of power-on and power-off cycles (typically between 1,000 and 1,500 cycles) to constantly monitor the display’s response. Should we encounter even a single negative case during this intensive testing phase, we actively collaborate with the component supplier to analyse the problem, resolve it at its root, and achieve a 100% stable situation. This rigorous approach allows us to prevent problems in the field and to assure our customers of a product that not only works, but that inspires confidence with every start-up.