The enhanced, full-function version of the A8s, usable with NovaStar COEX controllers as well, alongside a 10-bit video source.
NovaStar · top-tier compact receiving card (COEX compatible)
NovaStar A8s-N LED receiving card
The A8s-N is the full-function successor to NovaStar's A8s: it offers the same LED Image Booster technology, HDR support and per-pixel calibration, but with added compatibility for the NovaStar COEX (new generation) control system. With a PWM driver IC and an 8-bit source, a single card is loadable to 512×384 pixels at 60 Hz, falling to 512×256 pixels with a 10/12-bit source; with a common driver IC the maximum is 384×384 and 384×256 pixels respectively.
Combined with COEX controllers and a 10-bit video source, the maximum capacity is 512×384 pixels with a PWM IC and 384×384 with a common IC – a case NovaStar's documentation highlights separately. The card retains all the A8s reliability functions: dual hot backup, loop redundancy, and firmware and configuration read-back.
It accepts either 32 groups of parallel or 64 groups of serial RGB data (expandable to 128), with EMC Class B and RoHS certification.
Where the A8s-N sits in an LED wall system
The same place in the signal path as the A8s — sending card → Cat5e/Cat6 → card → HUB → module — with the difference that this version also works with NovaStar's new-generation COEX controllers (CX40 Pro, CX80 Pro, MX series), not only with the classic MCTRL/VX senders. Capacity depends on the source bit depth and the module's driver IC: 512×384 with a PWM IC at 8-bit, 512×256 with a 10/12-bit source, and 384×384 or 384×256 with a common IC. Pairing a COEX controller with a 10-bit source, the limit is 512×384 with a PWM IC and 384×384 with a common IC. On the data side, 32 groups of parallel or 64 groups of serial RGB (expandable to 128). The configuration and calibration remain in the card's flash memory.
WHEN IT IS THE RIGHT CHOICE
On projects planned around a NovaStar COEX control system (a CA50E sender/receiver pair, for instance), where the latest-generation compatibility and the full feature set are required.
WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR
With the combination of a COEX controller and a 10-bit source, the capacity differs from standard operation – this has to be taken into account separately at design stage.
The A8s-N in practice
The first step in design here is not the software but the table: before working out how many cabinets fit on a card, the module's driver IC and the bit depth planned for the system have to be settled, because the four figures above can differ by a factor of two. If this only emerges later, the whole cabinet layout has to be redesigned. Commissioning is done in NovaLCT (with a classic sender) or with an NCP file (under COEX); skipping the `Save Configuration Files to Hardware` step here too means everything is lost at the first power cut. Mixing the A8s and the A8s-N in one wall is best avoided: the difference in firmware and feature set can cause a visible difference in tint, so it is worth keeping a uniform type per cabinet. With cloned, third-party cards NovaLCT often fails to recognise the device, and a firmware update can render it unusable — buy only through official distribution channels.
Alternatives to the A8s-N
If the system will definitely not include a COEX controller, the A8s does the same thing, typically for less. For a larger cabinet, the A8s Pro (512×512 px); for the highest colour stability requirements, the A10s Pro. If the project is COEX-based from the outset and the greatest single-card capacity is needed, the CA50E's 768×512 pixels mean half as many cards and less cabling for the same wall. For a price-sensitive outdoor installation, the DH7512-S. The deciding factors: which generation of sender the system will use, and how demanding the bit depth requirement is.
A8s-N manual and datasheet
The documents live on the manufacturer's own site and open in a new window — so you always get the latest version. We do not copy or translate their contents.
Related receiving cards
LED receiving card — but what does it go into?
On its own the NovaStar A8s-N is a component. With us it works inside these displays — design, manufacturing and installation included.
