Black screen / not turning onUpdated 8 hours ago

If the screen of your Sente is not turning on, follow the diagnostics below to isolate the problem.

First though, it's good to know how the Sente hardware works on a basic level: The Sente mainboard (white electronic board behind the left side controls) is responsible for turning on the screen. When the mainboard receives an HDMI signal, it turns on the screen, the "Polycade" logo light under the screen, and the LED backlights. When your Sente is plugged in, the mainboard will have a red light on to indicate it has power (this light does not indicate the monitor is on). 

1. Did you press the power button? It's a bit hidden on the bottom left side of the machine - you'd need to be laying on the floor and looking up to see it.
2. When you turn on the computer, does your keyboard light up? If so, this indicates your computer is working. If not, then your computer could be the problem. Make sure your power button is properly connected, check the computer power supply for a green light, etc.
3. Are the logo light or LED backlights turning on? If the screen, logo, and backlights are all off, this could indicate either:
   1. A problem with the HDMI cable that connects the computer to the Sente mainboard. Try a different HDMI cable to rule out this possibility.
   2. A bad mainboard. If this is the case, you'll need a replacement. Reach out to [email protected]
4. You can try connecting a different device (laptop, Nintendo Switch) to the mainboard with an HDMI cable to see if that successfully triggers the HDMI detection. If so, we know the monitor is working.
5. If the logo light and LED Backlights both turn on and your computer turns on, but your screen remains black, then any of the following is possible:
   1. The monitor power is not plugged in. This is the connection at the top left of the Sente Mainboard - See "Sente Mainboard V2 Map" image here.
   2. The thick monitor cable that connects the mainboard to to the back of the monitor is either disconnected, partially connected, or damaged.
   3. The monitor itself is damaged or defective.