PART 1.
Choosing the right technologies and design considerations
In this article you will find detailed information about the parameters and features to consider when designing an outdoor display.
Topics covered from an engineer’s and decision-maker’s perspective:
- Challenges of outdoor touchscreens
- Environmental considerations
- Key features of outdoor displays
- Riverdi’s display solutions
- Checklist for selecting the right outdoor display
Understanding the rise of outdoor displays
Outdoor touchscreens are experiencing a significant growth in demand due to an increasing number of outdoor applications. The consumer market creates the trends and sets the bar high, influencing the development of industrial displays.
Modern users, accustomed to the high brightness of smartphone screens, expect excellent readability even in challenging conditions such like direct sunlight.
This article explores the critical factors to consider when selecting outdoor touch panels. It addresses the environmental challenges, key features, and high-quality solutions necessary to meet the demands of this rapidly growing market.
Framework for considering environmental challenges
Outdoor environments present unique challenges for display technology. Unlike indoor settings, outdoor touchscreens must withstand:
- Environmental extremes:
Air temperature ranging typically from -30°C to over 40°C, depending on geographic location. - Direct sunlight exposure:
Causing displays to heat up significantly, potentially reaching up to 70-80°C or even 100°C. - Moisture and rain:
Requiring waterproof and moisture-resistant designs.
Temperature management
Outdoor displays must function effectively in both extreme cold and heat. Standard Riverdi touchscreens, for instance, operate within a range of -20°C to 70°C, with some models tested from -30°C up to 80°C in special use cases. Proper thermal management involves predicting and checking the required temperature ranges already in the R&D phase. This way we guarantee the reliability and longevity of the touch panel.
Brightness and readability
High brightness is crucial for outdoor readability. Riverdi offers industrial-grade displays with 1000 candelas brightness, ensuring visibility even in direct sunlight. Additionally, our standard models feature optical bonding to eliminate internal reflections. This is possible by removing the air between the touchscreen and TFT (Thin Film Transistor). We also offer optional outer coatings with anti-glare or anti-reflective layers, reducing typical 4-5% reflection to 1.5% or even less.
Riverdi provides you with the opportunity to buy the display without Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ). This allows you to test the model immediately and cost-effectively with the optical bonding and decide whether you need special coatings.
Moisture and water resistance
Water-resistant displays are essential for outdoor applications. Proper sealing and selecting the industrial-grade touchscreens ensure functionality even in wet conditions. Riverdi’s industrial-grade products meet these requirements, offering rugged solutions against water leaks.
Overview of key features for outdoor displays
High brightness and contrast
When selecting a touchscreen for outdoor use, it is crucial to ensure visibility in bright conditions. Open-air display must have high brightness levels and excellent contrast ratios. Riverdi’s IPS High Brightness series, with 1000 candelas, guarantees readability even in direct sunlight, making it suitable for various outdoor applications.
Optical bonding and anti-reflective coatings
Reducing reflections improves readability even further. Riverdi provides optical bonding in its standard displays, ensuring minimal internal reflections from the start. As mentioned, anti-glare and anti-reflective coatings can further reduce surface reflections, improving visibility to maximum extent.
Durability and vandal-proofing
Outdoor displays must withstand potential physical damage. Standard Riverdi products come with 0.7 mm or 1.1 mm cover glass on the touchscreen and a 0.7 mm sensor glass. This close to 2 mm standard already ensures high resistance to external damage. Moreover, it can be easily customized to 3-6 mm or even 10-15 mm, providing extreme vandal-proof durability.
Importantly, a display with thicker glass requires choosing the right touch controller that will support the increased thickness. At Riverdi, this is not an issue, as our standard products come equipped with industrial-grade sensors and controllers.
UV resistance
Prolonged exposure to UV light can degrade display materials. Ensuring UV-resistant components, such as touch sensors, polarizers and painting, is crucial for outdoor durability. Riverdi uses UV-protected materials as standard to enhance the longevity of the touchscreens.
Summary of Riverdi’s display solutions
Riverdi offers a range of display solutions designed for outdoor applications. Our standard touch panels incorporate features such as:
- Wide temperature range:
Operating from -20°C to 70°C, with extended ranges available. - High brightness:
1000 Candela displays ensuring readability in direct sunlight. - Optical bonding:
Standard models including optical bonding to reduce reflections. - Vandal-proof options:
Available with thicker glass for increased durability, including the highly resistant Gorilla® Glass or Dragontrail™ Glass. - UV protection:
Materials are selected for their resistance to UV light, ensuring long-term performance. - Enclosure sealing:
Available with frames designed to press the display against the housing securely, ensuring a tight seal with the gasket on the front. For mounting from the outside, there are provided alternative suitable solutions.
Selecting the right display
When choosing an outdoor display, consider the following checklist:
| Feature | Consideration |
| Temperature range | Ensure the display can operate in your specific environmental conditions and solve a potential problem of accumulating the heat from the sun. |
| Brightness | Look for high brightness levels, above 1000 candelas. |
| Reflection management | Select only the displays with optical bonding and anti-reflective coatings as an option if needed. |
| Durability | Select vandal-proof glass thickness from 1.8 mm up to even 15 mm according to the required protection level. |
| Water resistance | Ensure the touch panel is properly sealed against moisture and rain. |
| UV resistance | Make sure that the materials used are UV-resistant to prevent display degradation. |
| Sealing the enclosure | Pay attention to the gasket, the surface of the glass, and the sealing method to ensure the durability and performance. For applications requiring a comprehensive seal, a one-piece gasket with no holes or gaps is recommended. For such needs, contact Riverdi’s team. |
The growing demand for outdoor displays requires technology that can withstand harsh environmental conditions while providing excellent visibility and durability. Riverdi’s range of outdoor-ready touchscreens offers solutions adjusted to these needs, ensuring reliable performance and longevity. For specific requirements and customization, Riverdi’s supporting team is available to provide you with expert assistance.
CHECK OUT RIVERDI’S OUTDOOR-READY PRODUCTS
Be sure to find the right industrial-grade touchscreen for your project:
- Need to enhance the brightness and optical performance of your outdoor display?
Choose High Brightness IPS Displays with optical bonding that perfectly reduce the reflection and correct contrast. - In search of the most effective data interchange between graphics and a truly industrial touch controller?
Check BT817Q (EVE 4) product category with revolutionary communication protocol for industrial, medical and military applications requiring beautiful and sophisticated GUI. - Looking for one of the highest resolution (1280×800 pixel) HMI displays based on STM32H7 MCUs?
Choose STM32 STM32 Embedded Displays with high performance enabled by STM32H757XIH6 (2MB Flash, 1MB RAM) microcontroller.
- Need a plug and play HDMI interface and USB-C touch solution?
Pick the HDMI Displays that are high-resolution, high-brightness IPS TFT products with optical/air bonding and industrial grade touch screen as Riverdi’s standard.
CONTACT US
Contact our expert to dive deeper into the industrial-grade outdoor displays for your project.
Having issues with your current technology? Want to learn about frameworks and our clients’ success stories? We are happy to discuss and assist you with your design and R&D challenges.