Troubleshooting Customer Display Problems
This guide covers common customer-facing display (CFD) issues and how to resolve them.
Secondary Monitor Display Issues
Display Shows on the Wrong Monitor
| Cause | Solution |
|---|---|
| Wrong monitor index selected | In Machine Configuration → General tab → Customer Facing Display, the Screen dropdown lists all connected monitors by index (0 = primary, 1 = second, etc.). Change the selection to the correct monitor. |
| Monitors were swapped in Windows | Open Windows Settings → System → Display and verify which monitor is which. The monitor numbers in Windows correspond to the index values in AccuArk. |
| Monitor was disconnected and reconnected | When a monitor is unplugged and plugged back in, Windows may assign it a different position. Re-check the Screen setting. |
Customer Display Is Blank
| Check | How |
|---|---|
| CFD is enabled | In Machine Configuration → General tab, make sure Enable CFD is checked |
| Monitor is connected and powered on | Verify the second monitor has power and is connected via HDMI, DisplayPort, or VGA |
| Windows detects the monitor | Open Windows Settings → System → Display and confirm two monitors are shown. If only one appears, check the cable and video output. |
| AccuArk was started after connecting the monitor | If the monitor was connected after AccuArk was already running, restart AccuArk so the display service can detect it |
Customer Display Shows the Desktop Instead of AccuArk Content
| Cause | Solution |
|---|---|
| Windows is in "Extend" mode but CFD service is not running | Restart AccuArk — the Customer Display Service initializes at startup |
| Wrong display mode in Windows | The second monitor should be set to Extend mode (not Duplicate or Second Screen Only). Open Windows Settings → Display → Multiple displays → Extend these displays. |
USB Pole Display Issues
Pole Display Shows Nothing
| Check | How |
|---|---|
| Power | Verify the pole display is powered on (most have a small LED) |
| USB cable | Check that the USB cable is firmly connected. Try a different USB port. |
| COM port | USB pole displays typically create a virtual COM port. Open Device Manager → Ports (COM & LPT) and verify the COM port number matches AccuArk's configuration. |
| Baud rate | The baud rate must match between AccuArk and the pole display. Common values: 9600 (most common), 19200. |
| Driver | If no COM port appears in Device Manager, install the manufacturer's USB driver for the pole display |
Pole Display Shows Garbled Characters
| Cause | Solution |
|---|---|
| Baud rate mismatch | Match the baud rate in AccuArk to the pole display's configured baud rate |
| Wrong display dimensions | Verify the Rows and Columns settings match your pole display model. Most common: 2 rows × 20 columns. |
Idle Mode Settings
When no sale is in progress, the customer display can show different content based on the Idle Mode setting:
| Idle Mode | What Shows | Settings Required |
|---|---|---|
| Text Message | A welcome message | Set the Idle Text field (default: "Welcome!") |
| Image Slideshow | Rotating images | Set the Slideshow Folder path and Slideshow Interval (2-120 seconds) |
| Marketing Slideshow | Marketing content | Configure the marketing slideshow in the marketing module |
If the idle display is not working:
- Make sure the Idle Mode is set to the desired option
- For Text mode: verify the Idle Text field is not empty
- For Slideshow mode: verify the folder path exists and contains image files (JPG, PNG, BMP)
- For Slideshow mode: check that the interval is reasonable (e.g., 5-15 seconds)