Novastar BR840

NovaStar BR840 — power supply and receiving card on one PCB

The BR840 belongs to NovaStar's BR series, a family of integrated control boards combining the AC/DC power supply and the receiving card on a single board. At the back of a cabinet it replaces the usual "power supply unit + receiving card" pair with one item: less internal cabling, fewer connectors, fewer failure points, and depth saved.

It is the standard version of the 40-pin format and, above all, the only board in the whole BR series rated from -30 °C to +70 °C. All the others stop at -20 °C.

Key specifications

Load capacity: 512×384@60Hz en 8 bits — 512×256@60Hz en 10 et 12 bits. Avec contrôleur COEX : 512×384@60Hz en 8 et 10 bits, 512×256@60Hz en 12 bits. Driver IC PWM.
Module connectors: 8 × connecteurs JH 40 broches, jusqu'à 24 groupes RGB parallèle
AC input: 90–264 Vac, 47–63 Hz
DC output: 3,8 / 4,0 / 4,2 V au cavalier — 15,5 A nominal
Dimensions: 488,8 × 199,1 × 22,1 mm
Weight: non publié par Novastar
Operating temperature: -30 °C à +70 °C (déclassement au-delà de 60 °C)
Image processing: Color Management Rec.709 / DCI-P3 / Rec.2020, 18bit+, pixel-level calibration, one-frame Low Latency, Smart Module — no HDR, no Image Booster

NovaStar BR840 — technical analysis

Buying a BR board is not the same reasoning as buying a receiving card. What decides is the available DC current, because it caps the luminance the cabinet can hold at full white. Its 15.5 A under 4 V gives around 62 W, like the BR860. Sizing is done on the luminance actually used: in unheated outdoor settings, where this board finds its ground, the required luminance is often high and the margin must be checked.

The -30 °C range is its real argument. On an outdoor installation in the mountains, an unheated stadium or a façade in a continental climate, that is the difference between a screen that starts in the morning and one that does not. Conversely it supports neither HDR10 nor HLG: this is not a studio board, it is a fixed-installation board that takes the cold.

Three design points: the module connector format must match your panels exactly (8 × connecteurs JH 40 broches, jusqu'à 24 groupes RGB parallèle); thermal derating means sizing cabinet ventilation accordingly; and since the board is both power supply and receiver, one failure takes out both — on a critical installation, plan spare stock accordingly.

On the "-1" references: NovaStar publishes for most BR models a "-1" suffixed variant whose published specifications are strictly identical: same dimensions to the tenth of a millimetre, same weight, same current, same load capacity. The manufacturer nowhere documents what the suffix means. We treat them as equivalent in performance and refer you to the cabinet manufacturer for mechanical compatibility.

• Cold-climate outdoor installations — the only board in the series rated to -30 °C.
• Unheated stadiums and arenas — guaranteed cold start.
• Continental-climate façades — street furniture, DOOH.
• 40-pin connector panels — 24 RGB groups.
• Outdoor display without HDR requirement — signage, advertising, information.

• Available current — 15.5 A nominal: check the margin, as outdoor use often demands high luminance.
• Connectors — 8 × connecteurs JH 40 broches, jusqu'à 24 groupes RGB parallèle: check the exact match with your modules before ordering.
• Thermal — from -30 °C to +70 °C, the widest range in the BR series: the board for unheated outdoor installations.
• No HDR — HDR10 and HLG absent from the datasheet: for broadcast, target the BR840 Pro.
• Single point of failure — power and reception on the same board: one failure takes out both, plan spare stock.