The 5G top-tier receiving card of NovaStar's new-generation COEX control system, up to 768×512 pixel capacity.
NovaStar · high-resolution receiving card (COEX series)
NovaStar CA50E LED receiving card
The CA50E is the top-tier, 5G-designated receiving card of NovaStar's new-generation COEX control system (COEX = Controller Ecosystem). With an 8- or 10-bit video source, a single card is loadable to 768×512 pixels at 60 Hz; with a 12-bit source the maximum falls to 512×480 pixels.
The card supports NovaStar's exclusive Thermal Compensation 2.0, Dynamic Booster, Full-Grayscale Calibration and LED Image Booster technologies, and accepts either 32 groups of parallel or 64 groups of serial RGB data (expandable to 128). The high-density connectors reduce the effects of dust and vibration, improving long-term stability.
The CA50E was designed specifically to work with COEX sending cards (the MX series, for instance) and controllers, so on newly installed NovaStar-based systems it is worth clarifying compatibility with the older (non-COEX) A-series products in advance.
Where the CA50E sits in an LED wall system
The receiving card of the COEX ecosystem: COEX sender (CX40 Pro, CX80 Pro, MX series) → Cat6 or fibre → CA50E → HUB → module. A single card carries 768×512 pixels with an 8- or 10-bit source, roughly double the classic A series: the same wall needs half as many cards, half as many HUB connections and less Cat6, which over the long term also reduces the number of failure points. On a gigabit port, then, 1–2 cards fit. On the data side, 32 groups of parallel or 64 groups of serial RGB (expandable to 128). It measures 80×45 mm. The configuration arrives in an NCP file, and the software environment is provided by NovaStar VMP and NovaLCT.
WHEN IT IS THE RIGHT CHOICE
For newly installed NovaStar COEX-based systems needing the greatest single-card pixel capacity (768×512) and the latest generation of calibration technologies.
WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR
The COEX ecosystem (sending cards, controllers) is not always compatible with NovaStar products of other generations – on a mixed system the manufacturer's compatibility table has to be checked.
The CA50E in practice
Commissioning here is a file load rather than manual parameter entry: the NCP file supplied by the cabinet manufacturer carries the scan mode, the HUB arrangement, the gamma and the calibration data, and this is what has to be written to the cards. On site this is faster and less error-prone than the classic `Smart Settings` wizard — but if there is no NCP file for the cabinet the process stops dead, so the file's existence has to be settled before delivery. COEX is a closed system: the CA50E is not guaranteed to work with older, non-COEX senders, and it cannot be mixed with old A-series cards in one wall either, so with a mixed device park the manufacturer's compatibility table is the first step. With a 12-bit source the capacity drops to 512×480. The calibration data lives on the card: if one is replaced, that cabinet's is lost unless there is a backup — and given the high price, at least two spares on the same firmware version are especially important here.
Alternatives to the CA50E
If the system is built on a classic VX/MCTRL sender, the CA50E cannot be used: the A8s or the A8s-N is the right choice there, the latter also being COEX compatible. If long-term colour stability rather than capacity is the main consideration, the A10s Pro's adaptive thermal compensation gives you more. On a price-sensitive, high-volume outdoor wall the DH7512-S is the realistic direction. In other ecosystems the Colorlight i9 is the comparable fine-pitch card, but switching affects the sender and the software as well. The deciding factors: whether the system is COEX, how large a cabinet is, and whether the NCP file can be obtained for it.
CA50E 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 CA50E is a component. With us it works inside these displays — design, manufacturing and installation included.
