NovaStar KU20: fixed corporate display without a permanent control room

Unlike controllers built for a permanently staffed control room, the NovaStar KU20 targets installations where nobody stands in front of the screen: a lobby, a headquarters facade, a boardroom, institutional signage. Once commissioned, the display must run unattended, with only occasional remote supervision.

This COEX-series controller ships with a single HDMI input, six Ethernet outputs and one 10 Gbps optical port. That reduced input count compared with multi-source models such as the MX30 matches a fixed-purpose use case: a single source running continuously, handed over to software control once commissioning is complete.

This tutorial follows a fixed-installation project's logic: framing the requirement, wiring the optical link to a remote rack, balancing the load across six ports, configuring through VMP, then scheduling broadcast hours. Every figure comes from the official KU20 specifications sheets (revisions V1.5.1 and V1.1.1).

1. A controller built for unattended display

The KU20 suits integrators delivering an LED wall meant to run with no daily intervention: a lobby wall looping a brand video, a facade showing an institutional message, a boardroom fitted with a supporting screen behind the speaker. In these contexts, input variety matters less than operating reliability and ease of remote supervision.

Its single HDMI 1.3 input with loop through is enough to connect a media player or a playback computer. Most of the integration effort shifts to the network side: six Gigabit Ethernet ports for the receiving cards' load, and one 10 Gbps optical port to reach a receiving rack that can sit well away from the controller, for example in a technical room separate from the exhibition hall.

• Lobby or exhibition hall: looping a single video source continuously.
• Commercial building facade: controller in a technical room, screen linked by fibre.
• Boardroom: supporting screen operated remotely from the IT desk.
• Institutional signage: broadcast hours fixed in advance, with no on-site staff.

If the project needs live switching between several sources or a multi-layer screen composition, point the client toward a multi-input controller such as the MX30: the KU20 is built for a fixed feed, not an active control room.

2. Official specifications sheet

The table below reproduces the values published by NovaStar in the KU20 sheet, revision V1.5.1. They frame the network and technical-room sizing from the design stage onward.

The 3.9-million-pixel figure is a theoretical maximum spread across the six ports. The official formula caps each port at 659,722 pixels at 8-bit, 60 Hz: check this per-port ceiling before finalising the cabling plan.

3. Framing the requirement before the site visit

A fixed installation is prepared differently from a temporary control room: you need to plan for no on-site operator, which means locking down the source, the broadcast schedule and network access up front. Before racking the KU20 in the technical room, confirm with the client the cabinet configuration file, the exact optical link length to the receiving rack, and the desired broadcast time slots.

Given its compact footprint of 254.3 × 50.6 × 290.0 mm and net weight of 2.1 kg, the KU20 fits easily into a rack shared with other network equipment, which is common in a corporate technical room where space dedicated to digital signage stays limited.

• Cabinet configuration file obtained from the panel manufacturer.
• Optical link length measured between the technical room and the receiving rack.
• Broadcast time slots agreed with the client before commissioning.
• Corporate network access confirmed for remote VMP control.

4. Wiring the single video source

The KU20 offers only one input, HDMI 1.3, with loop through to duplicate the signal to a monitoring display without extra hardware. In a fixed-display use case, this input usually receives a dedicated media player or a playback mini-PC configured to reboot automatically and resume playback after a power outage.

Since there is only one source to manage, most of the cabling care goes into the reliability of the HDMI connection and the media player's power supply, rather than switching between multiple inputs as on a multi-source controller.

• A single HDMI 1.3 input: reserve it for the final media player or playback PC.
• Loop through enabled for occasional visual checks without dismantling the setup.
• Media player configured to auto-restart playback after a power interruption.
• Quality HDMI cable mechanically secured if the rack is subject to vibration.

On a site with no technical staff, favour a media player with automatic restart and playback resume: the KU20 is not designed for daily manual intervention on the source.

5. 10G optical link to a remote receiving rack

The KU20's 10 Gbps optical port is the key element of a fixed installation: it lets the controller stay in a closed technical room, far from the screen, and reach a receiving rack installed close to the receiving cards. This architecture avoids running many Gigabit Ethernet cables over a long distance and simplifies maintenance, since the controller remains accessible to IT staff without crossing the public area where the screen sits.

In a headquarters building or an exhibition hall, the distance between the technical room and the screen often exceeds copper's practical reach. Choosing an optical module certified for the stated throughput determines the link's long-term stability: a non-compliant transceiver is the most common cause of instability found after commissioning.

• Keep the KU20 in a closed technical room, away from public access.
• Connect the receiving rack through the 10 Gbps optical link rather than long-distance copper.
• Check the optical module's certification before powering on.
• Document the fibre route to ease future maintenance visits.

An optical module not certified for 10 Gbps may appear to work at commissioning and degrade gradually afterward. Always require a certified transceiver rated for the stated throughput on a fixed installation meant to run unsupervised for years.

6. Balancing the load across the six Ethernet ports

The KU20's six Gigabit Ethernet ports share a maximum capacity of 3.9 million pixels, with a per-port limit of 659,722 pixels at 8-bit, 60 Hz. On a large fixed facade, check that the chosen layout respects this per-port ceiling, factoring in the blank areas that don't count toward the load thanks to the lack of a rectangular restriction.

The KU20 includes a built-in network switching function that lets several controllers be chained on the same LAN in a star topology, with no extra switch or router. This cascading option eases the deployment of several screens on the same site from a single network management point.

• Calculate each port's load before finalising the receiving cards' cabling.
• Use the lack of a rectangular restriction for irregularly shaped screens.
• Use star cascading to group several KU20 units on the same site.
• Keep a load margin if a screen extension is expected in the medium term.

7. Operating modes and VMP settings

The KU20 is configured and supervised through VMP. It offers two operating modes: All-In-One Controller, with layer and image scaling management, and Send-Only Controller, better suited to a fixed feed with no complex screen composition needed. For an unattended corporate display, the Send-Only mode is usually enough.

VMP also lets you save up to 128 presets combining brightness, colour temperature and gamma, useful for reapplying a validated setting after a card replacement or a maintenance visit without starting over. The controller supports SNMP, Art-Net and a central control protocol, making it possible to integrate it into an existing building management system.

• Send-Only Controller mode recommended for a fixed feed with no screen composition.
• Up to 128 presets available to restore a validated setting after maintenance.
• SNMP and Art-Net support for integration with the building's technical supervision.
• Automatic monitoring of fan speed, temperature and supply voltage.

Export and file the validated VMP configuration at handover: on a site with no dedicated technical staff, it is often the fastest way to restore the display after an incident without a site visit.

8. Scheduling operation with no on-site staff

Once commissioning is done, the screen must run alone for weeks or months. That means fixing the on/off time slots, verifying that the media player resumes playback with no intervention after a power cut, and planning periodic remote supervision rather than a continuous presence.

Automatic hardware monitoring, covering fan speed, module temperature and voltage levels, lets the technical team receive an alert when something goes wrong, without needing a regular visual check on site. This is what makes unattended operation credible on a corporate site.

• Broadcast time slots scheduled and verified at commissioning.
• Media player auto-restart tested after a simulated power cut.
• Periodic remote supervision scheduled with the site's IT team.
• Automatic temperature, voltage and fan alerts enabled in VMP.

9. Troubleshooting the most common issues

On a fixed, unattended installation, an undetected issue can stay visible in the lobby for days. The table below lists the most common causes seen on KU20 deployments of this kind.

10. KU20 or MX30: guiding the client

The KU20 and the MX30 share the same COEX architecture managed through VMP, but they answer different needs. The former targets a fixed feed with a single source and a more modest loading capacity; the latter covers multi-source use cases with several composited layers on screen.

Recommend the KU20 as soon as the brief describes a fixed screen with a single source and unattended operation. As soon as switching between several sources or a multi-layer composition comes up, point toward the MX30.

Commissioning procedure

1. Frame the requirement with the client

   Confirm the single source, the optical link length and the broadcast time slots before the site visit.

2. Install the KU20 in the technical room

   Rack the controller in a ventilated, non-public area, accounting for its compact footprint.

3. Wire the video source

   Connect the media player or playback PC to the HDMI 1.3 input, with loop through enabled for visual checks.

4. Deploy the optical link to the remote rack

   Connect the receiving rack through the 10 Gbps optical port using a module certified for the stated throughput.

5. Balance the load across the six Ethernet ports

   Verify each port respects the 659,722-pixel limit at 8-bit, 60 Hz before final cabling.

6. Configure the send mode in VMP

   Choose the Send-Only Controller mode for a fixed feed, then save a validated preset.

7. Schedule unattended operation

   Fix the broadcast hours, test the media player's automatic restart, and enable VMP alerts.

Frequently asked questions

Official documentation

• KU20 LED Display Controller Specifications V1.5.1 (official PDF) — Specifications sheet
• KU20 LED Display Controller Specifications V1.1.1 (official PDF) — Specifications sheet
• VMP Vision Management Platform User Manual V1.2.0 (official PDF) — User manual
• NovaStar official software downloads — Software

Related tutorials

• NovaStar MX30 tutorial: COEX studio and esports controller
• NovaStar MX40 Pro tutorial: 20-port COEX controller
• VMP tutorial: managing a fleet of COEX controllers
• NovaLCT tutorial: LED screen configuration

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