Novastar A5s

NovaStar A5s — 320×256 capacity receiving card

The A5s is a previous-generation NovaStar receiving card, now withdrawn from the manufacturer's active catalogue. We list it for one precise reason: the installed base. Its 320 × 256 capacity is atypical, and that is exactly what makes replacing it awkward.

Specifications

Load: 320×256@60Hz
Connectors: 32 groupes RGB parallèle ou 64 groupes série (extensible à 128), 2 × Gigabit Ethernet
Dimensions: 70,0 × 45,0 × 8,0 mm
Weight: 17,3 g
Power: DC 3,8 – 5,5 V, 3 W
Status: outside NovaStar's active catalogue
Recommended replacement: A5s Plus

NovaStar A5s — why this reference is still stocked

On an LED wall, a receiving card is not swapped like a light bulb. Its load capacity determines how the wall is divided into zones, and that division is frozen in the cabinet configuration file. Changing reference means rebuilding that file, revalidating the mapping, and sometimes reworking the internal harness — turning a standard exchange into an engineering job.

Our position: we always state the current replacement card — here the A5s Plus — and we tell you plainly how good the substitution is. A wall divided on 320 × 256 cannot be recabled without rebuilding the whole configuration. The A5s Plus rises to 512×384 in PWM 8-bit: functionally superior, but it changes the division.

On a partially serviced estate, like-for-like replacement is often the cheaper option once engineering time is counted. On a full refurbishment it is the opposite. We quote both.

• Service on a wall in operation — like-for-like replacement without rebuilding the configuration.
• Homogeneous estate — keeping a single card reference across the whole wall.
• Maintenance stock — spare cards on site for critical installations.
• Extending an existing wall — installation already fitted with A5s.
• Planned migration — we also quote the move to A5s Plus with the engineering time it implies.

• Status — outside NovaStar's active catalogue: confirm availability before committing.
• Replacement — A5s Plus. Atypical 320×256 capacity: like-for-like replacement often preferable.
• Supply voltage — DC 3,8 – 5,5 V; recent replacement cards start at 3.8 V, check against older 3.3 V supplies.
• Configuration — any change of reference means rebuilding the cabinet configuration file and revalidating the mapping.
• Clearance — compare dimensions before proposing a substitution: recent cards often add 1 to 2 mm of thickness.