ADLINK STC2-AL/KL Industrial Control Tablet BIOS and Drivers

ADLINK STC2-AL/KL Series Industrial Tablet BIOS Configuration and Driver Installation Complete Guide

In fields such as industrial automation, intelligent transportation, medical equipment, and building control, human-computer interaction terminals need to balance computational performance, environmental adaptability, and long-term reliability. The STC2-AL/KL series intelligent touch computer launched by ADLINK is an ideal choice for many harsh scenarios with flexible processor selection, wide voltage power input, rich I/O interfaces, and IP65 front panel protection. However, many engineers often feel confused about BIOS deep settings, serial protocol switching, watchdog timer activation, and driver installation sequence during initial deployment or on-site maintenance. This article is based on the core content of the STC2-AL/KL series hardware manual, and summarizes its configuration points and driver installation process from a practical perspective, helping technicians quickly master the debugging and optimization skills of the platform.

Overview of Product Series and Hardware Positioning

The STC2-AL/KL series includes three large size models: 10.1 inches (10WP), 15.6 inches (15WP), and 21.5 inches (21WP, only available in the KL series), all of which use projected capacitive multi touch screens and are covered with anti fingerprint coatings. The AL series is equipped with an Intel Atom x7-E3950 quad core processor (with a main frequency of 1.6GHz, turbo frequency of 2.0GHz, TDP 12W), featuring low power consumption and fanless cooling; The KL series offers three options: Core i3-7100U, i5-7300U, and i7-7600U, with a clear performance ladder and suitable for edge processing tasks that require strong computing power.

The entire series comes standard with 4GB DDR3L memory (expandable up to 8GB) and 64GB SSD (expandable up to 1TB), and has a 9-36V DC wide voltage input (with overvoltage/undervoltage protection), suitable for unstable power supply environments in industrial sites. In terms of I/O, dual Gigabit/2.5G Ethernet ports, two DB-9 serial ports (compatible with RS-232/422/485), USB 3.0+USB 2.0 combination, and DisplayPort output provide sufficient connectivity capabilities.

After understanding the hardware foundation mentioned above, we focus on the practical details at the BIOS and driver levels - these are often the key to stable device operation.

Practical Guide to BIOS Settings: From Beginner to Advanced

STC2-AL and STC2-KL have independent BIOS firmware, but their menu structures are highly similar. Users can press the ESC or DEL keys to enter the settings interface when turning on the device. The following selects the most commonly used configuration items for interpretation.

2.1 Main Menu - System Information Quick Check

After entering BIOS, the Main menu displays read-only information, including BIOS version, CPU model, memory capacity, etc. The 'Board Information' sub item records serial numbers, manufacturing dates, cumulative operating hours, and power on times, which is very useful for equipment asset management and fault history tracing. It is recommended that on-site engineers record this information when starting up for the first time to facilitate subsequent maintenance.

2.2 Advanced Menu - Core Function Optimization

The Advanced menu covers sub items such as CPU, graphics, power management, system management, watchdog, Super I/O (serial port), console redirection, network stack, trusted computing, and USB.

2.2.1 CPU Configuration

Energy saving features such as Intel SpeedStep, Turbo Mode, and Enhanced C-State can be enabled or disabled here. For real-time control scenarios that require deterministic response, it is recommended to disable C-State deep sleep to avoid minor delays caused by CPU frequency switching. Specific operation: Set "Enhanced C-State" to Disabled and "Package C-State Demo" to Disabled.

2.2.2 Graphics Configuration

This sub item is used to configure internal display output (LVDS/eDP) and external DisplayPort. Of particular importance is the "LFP Panel Type" option, which needs to be manually selected based on the actual LCD panel resolution (such as 1280 × 800, 1920 × 1080, etc.), otherwise black screen or display offset may occur. If using a dual screen extension, ensure that the 'FM Display Type' is correctly set to either DisplayPort or HDMI compatibility mode.

2.2.3 Power Management

ACPI settings: S3 (suspend to memory) sleep is enabled by default. If the system is unattended for a long time, the sleep function can be disabled to save storage space.

RTC wake-up: supports scheduled wake-up from S5 state, can set fixed time or dynamic delay (such as current time+several minutes), suitable for periodic data collection tasks.

AT/ATX simulation: If set to "Simulation AT", the system will automatically turn on after power failure and recovery (similar to AT power supply); If set to "ATX", the power switch needs to be pressed. AT mode is usually used in industrial sites to ensure that the equipment starts automatically after an unexpected power outage is restored.

2.2.4 System Management and SEMA Functions

The STC2 series has built-in SEMA (System Event Monitoring Architecture) firmware, which can read real-time parameters such as CPU temperature, motherboard temperature, fan speed, input current/power, voltage rail, etc. In Advanced>System Management>SEMA Features, you can view a list of supported features such as watchdog, power on times, restart event logs, etc. Operations personnel can use this data to predict the health status of hardware.

2.2.5 Watchdog Timer - The Most Important

Watchdogs are the last line of defense against industrial equipment crashes. The STC2 series offers two types of watchdog:

Power Up Watchdog: The system starts timing after power on. If no feeding signal is received within the specified time (can be set to 18-65535 minutes, default 0xFF is infinite), it will automatically reset. Attention: Pressing F12 during startup can temporarily disable this feature for debugging purposes.

RunTime Watchdog: Continuously monitors during system operation, and triggers a reset when timeout occurs.

Setting steps: Set "Power Up Watchdog" to Enabled, and then set the "Timeout" value (hexadecimal, for example, 0x0018 represents 24 minutes). It is recommended to write a dog feeding service in the operating system, regularly writing specific I/O or calling SEMA interfaces to the device to ensure that the system can recover itself in case of abnormal situations.

2.2.6 Super I/O Configuration - Serial Protocol Switching

This is the most commonly operated area by on-site engineers. COM1 and COM2 both support RS-232, RS-422, and RS-485 modes, which need to be matched according to the interface type of external devices such as PLC, smart meters, and frequency converters.

Enter 'Serial Port 1 Configuration' and set 'Serial Port' to 'Enabled'.

In the 'Change Settings', the IO address and interrupt number can be adjusted (usually just keep Auto).

Key: Select RS232, RS422 or RS485 through "COM1 Control". In RS-485 half duplex mode, attention should be paid to the terminal resistance and bias settings (hardware level), and the BIOS only switches the working mode of the level conversion chip.

Configure COM2 using the same method.

If using RS-485 multi machine communication, relevant options such as "Flow Control" need to be enabled in the BIOS, but it is more recommended to handle data direction control in the application layer software.

2.2.7 Serial Console redirection

For scenarios without a monitor or remote debugging, BIOS output and operating system startup information can be redirected through the serial port (COM0 or COM1). The baud rate (default 115200), data bits, stop bits, parity check, etc. need to be set and kept consistent with the terminal software (such as PuTTY). After activation, even if the local screen fails, the startup process and BIOS entry can be observed through the serial port.

2.2.8 USB Configuration

Adjustable XHCI Hand off (used for the operating system to take over the USB controller) and USB transfer timeout value. If encountering USB device recognition abnormalities, try turning off XHCI Hand off or adjusting the 'Device power up delay'.

2.3 Chipset Menu

North Bridge (AL) or System Agent (KL): configurable integrated graphics card memory (DVMT pre allocated size), GTT size, Aperture Size, etc. For HMI applications with high-resolution displays or complex graphical interfaces, it is recommended to set DVMT Pre Located to 256MB or higher to avoid screen lag caused by insufficient video memory.

South Cluster (AL) or PCH-IO (KL): manages SATA controllers (ports can be enabled or disabled), HD Audio, PCI Express root ports, etc. If using mSATA or SSD, ensure that the corresponding SATA port is enabled. The hot plug function can be turned on as needed.

2.4 Security Menu

Supports setting administrator and user passwords, and can configure TPM (1.2 or 2.0) to enhance system security. For non critical applications, they can remain disabled.

2.5 Boot Menu

Adjustable startup sequence, enable/disable Quiet Boot and Fast Boot. Fast Boot may skip some hardware initialization and speed up boot time, but it may affect the recognition of certain peripherals. It is recommended to turn it off during the first debugging.

2.6 Save&Exit

After the modification is completed, select "Save Changes and Exit" or "Save Changes and Reset" to make the new configuration effective. If the modification causes it to fail to start, it can be restored to default by clearing the CMOS (motherboard jumper).

Driver installation sequence and practical points

After completing the BIOS configuration, it is necessary to install the Windows 10 IoT Enterprise operating system (supported by default), and then install the drivers in a specific order to avoid functional conflicts.

3.1 Official recommended sequence for driver installation

Chipset driver - First, install it so that the operating system can correctly recognize PCIe, SATA, USB, and other bus controllers.

Graphics driver - Ensure proper display output, especially with the built-in LVDS/eDP panel.

Ethernet card driver - Intel I225 series, AL supports 1Gbps, KL supports 2.5Gbps.

Management Engine Driver - Provides underlying interfaces such as power management and temperature monitoring.

Serial I/O driver - enables COM ports to be enumerated as standard serial ports in the system.

DI/O driver (discrete I/O, if available) - if extended GPIO functionality is required.

3.2 Installation details of each driver

Chipset driver: Execute Setup. exe and restart after installation. This driver will update the INF file to correctly name unknown devices such as the "PCI Simple Communication Controller" in the Device Manager.

Graphics card driver: In addition to basic display functions, it also provides options such as brightness adjustment, rotation, and multi screen expansion. If the screen orientation is incorrect after installation, it can be adjusted through the system display settings.

Network card driver: After installation, two "Intel I225" network cards can be seen in Device Manager, supporting jumbo frames and VLANs, suitable for industrial Ethernet protocols such as PROFINET and EtherNet/IP.

Management engine driver: This driver is often overlooked, but if not installed, SEMA tools may not be able to read sensor data such as temperature and voltage, which also affects the system's sleep and wake-up functions.

Serial I/O driver: After installation, COM1 and COM2 will appear under "Ports (COM and LPT)". At this point, users can further set the baud rate, flow control, etc. in the device manager (in conjunction with BIOS settings).

3.3 Driver Acquisition and Troubleshooting

All drivers can be downloaded from the corresponding product page on the ADLINK official website. If installation fails, please check if you are running with administrator privileges and confirm that the Windows version is 64 bit IoT Enterprise. Additionally, some drivers require dependencies NET Framework， Can be installed in advance.

Practical suggestions for power and power management

The STC2 series supports 9-36V wide voltage input and comes standard with a 12V adapter. Power consumption varies by model and load:

10WP-AL: Approximately 29.4W at full load

15WP-AL: Approximately 39.8W

10WP-KL: approximately 40.9W

15WP-KL: approximately 50.4W

21WP-KL: Approximately 64.1W

When selecting power supplies on site, it is recommended to reserve capacity at 1.5-2 times the peak power consumption and choose industrial grade power supplies with overcurrent protection (OCP). At the same time, pay attention to the polarity of the power cord (DC+, DC -, PE grounding), ensure that the chassis is well grounded, and avoid EMI interference.

Installation and heat dissipation precautions

In terms of mechanical dimensions, 10WP is 256 × 174 × 44mm, 15WP is 390 × 239 × 47mm, and 21WP is 524 × 316 × 51mm. All support VESA 75 × 75 and 100 × 100mm installations. Due to the passive heat dissipation (fanless) of the device, it is necessary to ensure that the installation environment is well ventilated and that the rear heat sink is not obstructed. The working temperature range is -10 ℃~50 ℃ (based on SSD). If the ambient temperature is close to the upper limit, it is possible to consider adding a cooling fan or reducing the load.

Common problems and quick troubleshooting

No display on screen: Check if the "LFP Panel Type" in BIOS is selected for the correct resolution; If using an external DisplayPort, confirm that the 'FM Display Type' setting is correct.

Serial communication failure: First, check if the COM mode (232/422/485) in BIOS matches the device; Next, check the wiring (especially the differential signal polarity of RS-422/485); Finally, confirm the parameters such as baud rate and parity in the operating system.

Watchdog not working: Confirm that Power Up Watchdog is set to Enabled and write a dog feeding program in the operating system (refer to the SEMA API provided by ADLINK).

The system cannot boot from SSD: Check the "UEFI Hard Disk Drive BBS priorities" in the BIOS Boot menu to ensure that SSD is prioritized; If using Legacy mode, CSM needs to be enabled (only available in KL series).