NovaStar MCTRL4K

NovaStar MCTRL4K: inputs, port capacity and LED mapping

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Model and role

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The NovaStar MCTRL4K is an LED sending controller for compatible receiving cards. It fits systems that need a defined video canvas distributed across several cabinet chains, in rental or fixed installations. Plan any required scaling or source composition in an upstream device with those verified functions.

This guide follows User Manual V1.2.0 and Specifications V1.2.2. Check the unit label, installed firmware and receiving-card model against the project configuration before making changes.

Connections and working limits

Video input: 1 × DP 1.2, 1 × HDMI 2.0 and 2 × DL-DVI. DP/HDMI input: up to 4096×2160 at 60 Hz; each DL-DVI: up to 3840×1080 at 60 Hz. Progressive input only.
LED outputs: 16 Neutrik Gigabit Ethernet ports. At 60 Hz, use the documented ceiling of 650000 pixels per port for 8-bit input or 320000 for 10/12-bit input, while also checking the controller total and receiving-card limits. No audio output.
Optical transport: 4 × 10G optical ports: OPT1 carries ports 1–8; OPT2 carries 9–16. OPT3 and OPT4 duplicate those groups. They do not add two more independent groups of pixels.
Control and sync: The ETHERNET control connector is separate from LED outputs 1–16. USB IN/OUT supports computer control and cascading; GENLOCK IN/LOOP is for synchronization.

What the system needs

Compatible LED cabinets and receiving cards, their validated configuration file, a pixel map and a source with the required output format. Use a control computer with a NovaLCT version compatible with the installed system and a USB control cable.

Provide tested video and data cables, suitable AC power and ventilated horizontal mounting. For fiber runs, specify compatible optical modules, fiber and receiving/conversion equipment for the exact design. Route audio separately.

Prepare and configure

Record the input format, bit depth, cable order, port assignments and starting configuration. Obtain the cabinet file from the manufacturer or integrator; do not infer scan or receiver settings from pixel pitch.
In Input Settings, select the intended input and check its resolution and frame rate on the home screen. Confirm the source output as well; changing the advertised input resolution does not establish that the computer is sending the intended canvas.
Choose a mapping method before editing. Screen Settings > Quick Config is for regular layouts that satisfy the manual’s port-loading rules. Set Cabinet Row QTY, Cabinet Col QTY, Port1 Cabinet QTY and Data Flow (Front View) to match the physical wiring. Use NovaLCT for irregular layouts. After configuring the screen in NovaLCT, do not configure it again through the controller’s Quick Config or Advanced Config.
During rehearsal, show a border and position labels, inspect each chain and set suitable brightness. Check Normal, Black Out and Freeze status; return to Normal after testing. Save the verified configuration with Save to Hardware only after checking the whole map.

Operating questions

Why can a cabinet chain exceed its limit when the whole wall fits?
The controller detects video, but the wall is black. What should I check?
The image is scrambled or cropped. Should I run Quick Config again?

Why can a cabinet chain exceed its limit when the whole wall fits?

Each output has its own ceiling. In a 60 Hz example with hypothetical 256×256-pixel cabinets, each cabinet has 65536 pixels. Eight cabinets total 524288: below 650000 for an 8-bit input, but above 320000 for a 10/12-bit input. Four total 262144; five total 327680 and already exceed that latter ceiling. These are calculation examples, not a cabinet specification.

Check the actual source bit depth and pixels assigned to every port. Also respect the published controller totals: 8800000 pixels for DP/HDMI or 8300000 for DVI; the manual halves total capacity for 10/12-bit input. Different frame rates and special modes need a separate calculation. Redistribute complete cabinet chains in rehearsal; spare ports do not remove controller or receiving-card limits.

The controller detects video, but the wall is black. What should I check?

Start with the home screen: input connector, detected resolution and frame rate. Then inspect Display Control for Black Out or Freeze and confirm appropriate brightness. A detected input alone does not prove the LED output path works.

In a test window, use an internal Test Pattern. If it appears across the complete wall, return to Normal and check the source, selected input and one known-good cable or adapter at a time. When reconnecting DP, leave more than 5 seconds between unplugging and plugging it back in. If the pattern is also missing, inspect port link status, cabinet power and the first data connection on the affected chain before changing mapping.

The image is scrambled or cropped. Should I run Quick Config again?

First compare the physical cable route with the saved map. Data Flow (Front View) means looking at the display from the audience side. Where receiving cards support Mapping, use it to identify the port and cabinet sequence, then turn it off after inspection. For cropping, compare source canvas dimensions and Start X/Start Y offsets with the intended active area.

Quick Config requires equal cabinet counts on the first n−1 used ports, each an integer multiple of the cabinet row or column count; the last port can carry the same or fewer cabinets. Port 1 starts the physical route and each chain follows the same direction. If these conditions do not fit, use the saved NovaLCT project to correct the map in rehearsal. Do not overwrite a NovaLCT map with front-panel quick or advanced configuration.

Symptom and next check

NovaStar MCTRL4K
Symptom	Check	Next step
Partial wall or missing chain	Bit depth, load and link status on that port	Compare the saved chain map before moving connections.
Video detected, black wall	Display Control and internal Test Pattern	Separate input troubleshooting from the LED output path.
Wrong order or cropping	Physical route, Mapping and Start X/Start Y	Correct the saved project in a test window.

Operating precautions

Keep the controller horizontal; the manufacturer excludes vertical or upside-down mounting. Keep ventilation clear. Its AC rating is 100–240 V, 50/60 Hz, with 30 W rated consumption for the controller; size the LED wall power separately.

Enable Limited to Full only for an RGB Limited source: using it with RGB Full loses grayscale detail. HDR requires 10-bit HDMI input and compatible receiving cards, with reduced port capacity.

Low latency requires HDMI/DP input and vertical cabinet loading per port; it excludes 3D and Genlock. Do not translate controller latency figures into a promise for a complete camera-to-screen system. Verify the installed configuration before enabling special modes.

Manufacturer documentation

Reviewed October 22, 2026. Manual: connectors pp. 2–4; input and mapping pp. 7–18; low latency and bit depth pp. 28–31; electrical data p. 35. Specifications: limits pp. 1–5. Page numbers are the printed document pages.