Calculator · NovaStar · Free after registration
LED configurator
How many panels can you put on one line, and which NovaStar goes with your screen? Choose a screen, enter the number of cabinets and you see the number of ports and the processors that fit.
What the tool does
- Works out the resolution of your screen: pixels per cabinet, total width and height.
- Shows how many cabinets fit on one output port, at your frame rate and bit depth.
- Counts the ports twice: in theory, and with whole columns or rows per port, the way you cable in practice.
- Checks every processor in the list and says per model whether your screen fits, and if not why.
- Draws the screen with the cabinets per port, so you see the cabling at a glance.
Who it is for
For LED technicians, rental companies and integrators preparing a screen. You pick a LedQX screen from the catalogue or enter the cabinet resolution of your own screen: the tool works for any screen with a NovaStar receiving card.
LedQX is not affiliated with NovaStar. The processor data comes from NovaStar's public documentation.
Request access
The tool is free. You enter your details and get a link by email. That link opens the tool; after that your browser remembers the access for 90 days.
Worked example: C-Rock 500 Outdoor P3.91
- C-Rock 500 Outdoor P3.91 has cabinets of 500 × 500 mm. At P3.91 that is 128 × 128 pixels per cabinet, so 16,384 pixels. The cabinet resolution is calculated from cabinet size and pitch; check it against the datasheet.
- A screen of 6 × 4 cabinets measures 3 × 2 metres and 768 × 512 pixels: 393,216 pixels in total.
- At 8 bit and 60 Hz a gigabit port of the classic controllers carries 650,000 pixels. 650,000 ÷ 16,384 gives 39 whole cabinets per port. So the 24 cabinets fit on one port.
- If you cable per column, each column has 4 cabinets and 6 columns fit on one port. You still need one port. The smallest controller that fits is the MCTRL300.
View specifications: C-Rock 500 Outdoor
| Screen | Resolution | Pixels | Ports in theory | Ports per column or row | Smallest controller that fits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 × 4 cabinets3 × 2 m | 768 × 512 | 393,216 | 1 | 1 | MCTRL300 |
| 8 × 6 cabinets4 × 3 m | 1024 × 768 | 786,432 | 2 | 2 | MCTRL300 |
| 12 × 6 cabinets6 × 3 m | 1536 × 768 | 1,179,648 | 2 | 2 | MCTRL300 |
| 16 × 9 cabinets8 × 4.5 m | 2048 × 1152 | 2,359,296 | 4 | 4 | KU20 |
The calculation rule
The datasheets of the MCTRL, VX and NovaPro controllers state a fixed capacity per gigabit port: 650,000 pixels for an 8-bit source at 60 Hz. For 10-bit and 12-bit sources they state 320,000 or 325,000 pixels, depending on the model.
The documentation of the COEX controllers and the MCTRL700 Pro gives the formula behind it: capacity × bits per pixel × frame rate must stay below 0.95 gigabit per second. At 8 bit, 24 bits per pixel travel down the line. That gives 659,722 pixels at 60 Hz, 791,667 at 50 Hz and 1,319,444 at 30 Hz: the capacity is inversely proportional to the frame rate.
At 10 bit it depends on the receiving card: 32 bits per pixel with an A10s Pro or A8s Pro (494,792 pixels at 60 Hz), 48 bits with other cards (329,861 pixels). A 5G port of the CX40 Pro carries 2,951,200 pixels at 8 bit and 60 Hz.
The tool calculates each processor with the value from its own datasheet. If the datasheet only states 60 Hz, the tool uses that value at a lower frame rate: on the safe side. At a higher frame rate without a stated value, the tool says the model cannot be assessed.
In practice a port loads a rectangular block. In quick screen configuration the number of cabinets per port must be a multiple of the number of rows or columns. On the COEX controllers a load area narrower than 128 pixels counts as 128 pixels wide. That is why the tool shows, next to the theoretical number of ports, the number with whole columns or rows per port.
| Frame rate | 8 bit | 10 bit · A10s Pro | 10 bit · Other card |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Hz | 1,649,306 | 1,236,979 | 824,653 |
| 25 Hz | 1,583,333 | 1,187,500 | 791,667 |
| 30 Hz | 1,319,444 | 989,583 | 659,722 |
| 50 Hz | 791,667 | 593,750 | 395,833 |
| 60 Hz | 659,722 | 494,792 | 329,861 |
| 120 Hz | 329,861 | 247,396 | 164,931 |
Lines included
Discontinued models are included for those who still use them. What is missing is added as soon as the datasheet states the capacity.
| Line | Models | Which |
|---|---|---|
| MCTRL | 9 | MCTRL300, MCTRL500, MCTRL600, MCTRL660, MCTRL660 PRO, MCTRL700, MCTRL700 Pro, MCTRL R5, MCTRL4K |
| COEX | 7 | KU20, MX20, MX30, MX40 Pro, CX40 Pro, MX2000 Pro, MX6000 Pro |
| VX | 13 | VX400 Pro, VX600 Pro, VX1000 Pro, VX2000 Pro; discontinued: VX400, VX600, VX1000, VX6s, VX4S-N, VX4S, VX4U, VX4, VX2U |
| NovaPro | 2 | NovaPro UHD Jr; discontinued: NovaPro UHD |
| Taurus | 10 | TB10 Plus, TB20 Plus, TB30, TB40, TB50, TB60, TU15 Pro, TU20 Pro, TU4K Pro, TU40 Pro |
| H-serie | 2 | H_20xRJ45 zendkaart, H_16xRJ45+2xfiber zendkaart |
Questions and answers
How many pixels can one NovaStar port carry?
According to the datasheets, a gigabit port of the MCTRL, VX and NovaPro controllers carries 650,000 pixels for an 8-bit source at 60 Hz. The documentation of the COEX controllers (MX20, MX30, MX40 Pro, KU20) and the MCTRL700 Pro gives a formula: capacity × 24 × frame rate must stay below 0.95 gigabit per second. That is 659,722 pixels at 60 Hz, 791,667 at 50 Hz and 1,319,444 at 30 Hz. A 5G port of the CX40 Pro carries 2,951,200 pixels at 8 bit and 60 Hz.
How many P3.91 panels fit on one port?
A 500 × 500 mm cabinet in P3.91 has 128 × 128 pixels, so 16,384 pixels. At 650,000 pixels per port (8 bit, 60 Hz) 39 cabinets fit on one port; with the formula of the COEX controllers (659,722 pixels) it is 40. A 500 × 1000 mm cabinet has 128 × 256 pixels: 19 of those fit on one port, or 20 with the formula. The cabinet resolution is calculated from cabinet size and pitch; check it against the datasheet of your screen.
Which NovaStar do I need for a 4 × 3 metre screen?
That depends on the pitch. With 500 × 500 mm cabinets, 4 × 3 metres is 8 × 6 cabinets. In P3.91 that is 1024 × 768 pixels: you need 2 ports and the smallest controller that fits is the MCTRL300. In P2.6 it is 1536 × 1152 pixels: then it is 3 ports, and the smallest controller that fits is the MCTRL500. Calculated at 8 bit and 60 Hz, without a backup loop, with 650,000 pixels per port.
What changes at 50 Hz, 10 bit or with a backup loop?
A lower frame rate gives more room per port, a higher bit depth less. According to the formula, a gigabit port carries 791,667 pixels at 50 Hz and 8 bit. At 60 Hz and 10 bit that is 329,861 pixels, or 494,792 with A10s Pro or A8s Pro receiving cards. The datasheets of the classic controllers state 320,000 or 325,000 pixels per port for 10 bit. With a backup loop every port needs a second port: the number of ports doubles.
Why does the tool count the ports twice?
In theory you fill every port up to the last cabinet. In practice you cable in whole columns or rows, and in NovaStar's quick screen configuration the number of cabinets per port must be a multiple of the number of rows or columns. That is why the tool shows both numbers when they differ.
Which NovaStar processors does the tool know?
The tool knows 43 processors and sending cards from NovaStar's public documentation: MCTRL (9), COEX (7), VX (13), NovaPro (2), Taurus (10), H-serie (2). Modular systems are included where the capacity per output card is fixed.
Does the tool also work for a screen from another brand?
Yes. Choose "Own screen" and enter the resolution of one cabinet. The calculation holds for any screen that runs on a NovaStar processor.
Why do I have to enter my details?
The tool is free. We ask for your name, company name, email address and phone number to give you access and to contact you about your project. You only get news and updates if you tick that box yourself.
How many panels on one port?
The tool is free. You enter your details and get a link by email. That link opens the tool; after that your browser remembers the access for 90 days.