Winter Weather and Digital Signs: What You Need to Know

In the northern hemisphere, winter is in full swing. This year, snow arrived before the New Year, and it seems like most of Europe will experience a white Christmas after a considerable period. We can all say, “Finally!”. This means that public furniture will undergo a test to determine whether manufacturers truly considered various environmental challenges. This is particularly crucial for digital urban furniture, like outdoor digital signage.

In the digital signage industry, thermal management is a well-known mantra, and for good reason. Heat poses a silent threat to electronic components. However, heat is just one aspect of thermal management.

Extreme cold is also a concern, and manufacturers should be mindful of its effects. Electronic components have optimal operating temperatures and exposure to extreme cold can have a detrimental impact on their performance and longevity.

Condensation

Fluctuations in temperature between day and night can result in condensation forming on display surfaces and electronic components. While signage enclosures may be IP65 certified, failure to address this issue adequately can lead to components being exposed to water due to condensation. It’s a well-known fact that water and electricity don’t mix well. The presence of condensation can potentially damage sensitive electronics and compromise the longevity of the display.

Freezing of components

Extremely low temperatures can cause mechanical components, like fans, to freeze. When these components freeze, they may cease to function properly, impacting the overall performance of digital signage systems in the future. Broken fans can compromise thermal management, potentially leading to damage to critical components, such as the LCD panel.

Sluggish Response Times & Ghosting

The player and the LCD panel are the most critical components in this aspect. The minimum operational temperature of an LCD player is 0 °C, which, while not extremely low, can become critical as temperatures decrease. LCD screens exposed to very low temperatures may experience sluggish response times, as the response time of the liquid crystals may slow down (liquid-crystal display). Another common effect is temporary image retention or "ghosting," where previous images remain faintly visible even after they should have changed. The LCD panel can even crack in extremely low temperatures.

Solution

The solution is deceptively simple: integrated heaters. While a straightforward heater can mitigate various doomsday scenarios, relying solely on heaters may not be the optimal solution. Thermal management encompasses a comprehensive approach that involves the interplay between hardware components (such as heaters, fans, sensors etc.) and the intelligent software that governs them.

To begin with, heaters should ideally be fan-based or strategically positioned within the enclosure to ensure the effective distribution of warm air across the internal components of the digital signage system. The same principle applies to temperature sensors, which need to be strategically placed in the enclosure. Dedicated software must possess the capability to analyze data from each sensor and adjust the heating system accordingly. This not only aids in optimizing energy consumption but also ensures that the components are maintained within the recommended operating range.