DETAIL OF SELECTED BALANCE SHEET ACCOUNTS (Activity in Allowance for Doubtful Accounts) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Receivable [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period	$ 664	$ 1,010	$ 811	$ 746
Bad debt expense (recovery)	16	92	(97)	339
Uncollectible accounts written off, net of recoveries	(373)	(141)	(400)	(114)
Change due to foreign currency translation	3	15	(4)	5
Balance at end of period	$ 310	$ 976	$ 310	$ 976

Allowance for doubtful accounts receivable write offs (recoveries).

No definition available.

Name:	powl_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsReceivableWriteOffsRecoveries
Namespace Prefix:	powl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Increase (decrease) due to foreign currency translation.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	powl_IncreaseDecreaseDueToForeignCurrencyTranslation
Namespace Prefix:	powl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

A valuation allowance for trade and other receivables due to an Entity within one year (or the normal operating cycle, whichever is longer) that are expected to be uncollectible.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.4)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66008989&loc=d3e5074-111524

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsReceivableCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

A roll forward is a reconciliation of a concept from the beginning of a period to the end of a period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of expense related to write-down of receivables to the amount expected to be collected. Includes, but is not limited to, accounts receivable and notes receivable.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.5)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=63488584&loc=d3e20235-122688

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66902209&loc=d3e3602-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProvisionForDoubtfulAccounts
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration