How Does a Single USB-C Cable Carry Power, Video, and Touch to a Monitor?
March 26, 2025
One USB-C connection can carry three things a touch monitor needs: the DisplayPort video signal, the power supply, and the touch signal back to the computer. The BPCPRO-X51 embedded box PC is built around that single-cable connection. It cuts the cabling to a display down to one lead, which reduces installation effort and increases operational safety, and its screw-lockable USB-C connectors keep the link stable in harsh industrial environments. The BPCPRO-X51 is developed by FORTEC Integrated (formerly Distec), our sister company in Germany within the FORTEC Group, and we supply, integrate, and support it from Ronkonkoma, New York.
What does the BPCPRO-X51 offer besides USB-C?
Rugged, energy-efficient computing for 24/7 operation. It runs an Intel Atom x7211RE processor of the Amston Lake series across an extended range of -20 to +70°C, with 8 GB of DDR5-4800 in a 203.5 x 118 x 39.9 mm housing:
- Two 2.5 Gbit Ethernet ports, plus Wi-Fi, for fast and redundant networking.
- RS232/422/485 serial interfaces for industrial communication.
- 8-bit GPIO, TPM 2.0, a watchdog, and an M.2 slot for expansion.
- Wake-on-LAN, Wake-on-Time, and Wake-on-Touch, so the system can be operated without physical buttons.
- Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC pre-installed as an option.
That combination fits IoT and edge applications in industry, logistics, building technology, and medicine.
Which monitor works with it over one cable?
A monitor built for a USB-C single-cable connection, such as the 21.5-inch XTRA-Line iPPL-W215 industrial touch monitor. It is waterproof, with an IP65 front panel and an IP54 body, and has a true-flat Full HD panel with 10-finger PCAP touch:
- Three brightness versions, 250, 500, and 800 cd/m², each with automatic dimming.
- A wide +12 to +24 V DC input, plus HDMI, USB 2.0, audio output, and an IR remote control.
- A housing that fits a 6 mm linear rail groove for mounting.
Paired with the BPCPRO-X51, it gives a touch workstation connected by a single cable.
What if the design needs a board rather than a box?
The same platform comes as the SBCPRO-X51, a 3.5-inch single board computer with the Atom x7211RE and up to 16 GB of DDR5-4800. It takes M.2 expansion modules, and its USB-C M.2 module provides the same single-cable connection for power, DisplayPort, and touch, so the board can be designed into the customer’s own enclosure. Our post on the BoxPC Pro series covers box PCs that drive LVDS, eDP, and V-by-One displays through a docking connector.
Tell us what the display has to show and where it will run, and we will take it from there. We recommend the computer and monitor, integrate them with the touchscreen and power supply, and stay with the project from first samples to series production, backed by our technical services.
