Detail of Selected Balance Sheet Accounts - Activity in Allowance for Doubtful Accounts (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Receivable [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period	$ 179	$ 811
Bad debt expense (recovery)	111	(160)	$ 187
Uncollectible accounts written off, net of recoveries	(125)	(472)
Change due to foreign currency translation	(8)	0
Balance at end of period	$ 157	$ 179	$ 811

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

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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://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84173941&loc=d3e5074-111524

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-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

+ Details

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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://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.5)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=115205541&loc=SL114868664-224227

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82913815&loc=SL49130534-203044

+ Details

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