NovaStar MSD300: Fitting a DVI Sending Card Inside a Chassis
Install the NovaStar MSD300 sending card: DVI input wiring, both Ethernet outputs to receiving cards, NovaLCT setup and swapping a card on a live wall.
Sending cards — rental and signage
The MSD300 is a compact sending card with one DVI input and two Ethernet outputs, built to sit inside a rental control case or a fixed signage cabinet.
Unlike a rack-mounted all-in-one controller, the MSD300 is a bare board meant to be screwed inside a rental chassis or a signage electronics cabinet. It measures 130.1 × 99.7 × 14.0 mm, weighs 104.3 g, and carries one DVI input connector with two Gigabit Ethernet outputs feeding the LED wall's receiving cards.
It targets jobs where budget and volume matter as much as reliability: concerts, touring rigs, security monitoring rooms, stadiums. Its modest capacity compared to larger HDMI/DP sending cards makes it a sensible choice whenever the wall does not exceed roughly 1.3 million pixels across its two outputs.
This guide follows a real integration sequence: mounting inside a chassis, wiring the DVI input, connecting both outputs to the receiving-card fleet, adjusting settings in NovaLCT, and finally the procedure for swapping a failed card on a wall already in service. Every figure quoted comes from the official MSD300 specification sheet, revision V2.4.2 dated December 9, 2024.
1. What the MSD300 does inside a rental chassis
The MSD300 is not a standalone box; it is a module bolted onto an internal plate, usually paired with a power supply, a connector panel and sometimes an external monitoring panel depending on the chassis builder. Its job stops at receiving a DVI video feed, splitting it into two network streams, and sending them to the receiving cards fitted in the LED cabinets.
This bare-card approach suits integrators who build their own control flight-cases for event rental, or signage installers who house the driving electronics in a dedicated technical cabinet rather than a standard 19-inch rack.
- Concerts and touring: compact control unit built into the flight-case.
- Signage and storefronts: technical cabinet with power supply and sending card.
- Monitoring and security centres: modestly sized control wall.
- Stadiums and sports venues: secondary or peripheral displays.
Before mounting the card, check the clearance for the DVI cable and the two RJ45 cables: the DVI connector protrudes noticeably from the board edge and needs enough room inside the chassis.
2. Official MSD300 specifications
The figures below come from the official MSD300 specification sheet. They directly shape both the size of wall you can drive and the choice of input cable.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Video input | 1 × single-link DVI (SL-DVI) |
| Max input resolution | 1920 × 1200 @ 60 Hz |
| Custom resolutions | Max width 3840 (3840×600@60Hz), max height 3840 (548×3840@60Hz) |
| Audio input | 1 dedicated audio connector |
| Network outputs | 2 × RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet |
| Capacity per port | Up to 650,000 pixels |
| Network redundancy | Supported between the two Ethernet ports |
| PC control | 1 × USB type B |
| Cascading | 2 × UART, up to 20 units cascaded |
| Light sensor | 1 dedicated connector |
| Power | DC 3.3 V to 5.5 V, 0.6 A, 3 W |
| Dimensions | 130.1 × 99.7 × 14.0 mm |
| Net weight | 104.3 g (card only) |
| Operating temperature | -20°C to +75°C |
| Certifications | EMC, RoHS, PFoS, FCC |
The native resolution caps at 1920 × 1200 at 60 Hz on the single-link DVI input. The custom-width (3840 px) and custom-height (3840 px) modes cannot both be pushed to their maximum at once: check the display maker's NovaLCT sheet before validating a non-standard configuration.
3. Preparing the chassis integration
Before fitting the MSD300, gather the supplied DVI cable, a USB cable for the configuration link to the PC, two RJ45 cables toward the receiving cards, and, if the fleet includes several cascaded cards, the matching UART cables. The card runs on a continuous 3.3 to 5.5 V supply drawing only 3 W, which makes it compatible with most power blocks already fitted inside a rental case.
Fit an insulating support under the card to avoid any contact with the metal chassis, and leave clear access to the USB type B port: this connector serves both initial configuration and later firmware updates.
- MSD300 card, DVI cable and configuration USB cable gathered.
- Two RJ45 cables prepared for the two Ethernet outputs.
- UART cables ready if several cards are cascaded.
- Chassis power checked: 3.3 to 5.5 V DC, 3 W.
- Insulating support fitted before final mounting.
4. Wiring the DVI input
The MSD300's only video input is a single-link DVI connector. It accepts a signal from a control computer, a video matrix or an HDMI-to-DVI converter installed upstream inside the flight-case. The supported sampling mode is RGB 4:4:4 at 8 bits, which is plenty for most event or advertising content.
On a touring case it is common to place a small HDMI-to-DVI converter right before the card's input, since most modern sources no longer offer a native DVI output. In that case, check that the converter does not degrade the resolution before it reaches the MSD300.
- Single-link DVI connector, RGB 4:4:4 sampling at 8 bits.
- Maximum native resolution: 1920 × 1200 at 60 Hz.
- HDMI-to-DVI converter accepted upstream when the source lacks native DVI.
- Separate audio input available for a synced sound return.
On a fixed signage cabinet driven by an HDMI media player, place the HDMI-to-DVI converter as close as possible to the card to limit signal loss over a long cable run inside the technical cabinet.
5. Wiring the two outputs to the receiving cards
The two Gigabit RJ45 ports carry the link to the receiving cards in the LED cabinets. Each port supports up to 650,000 pixels, for a total capacity of 1.3 million pixels across the whole card — plenty for a rental stage screen or a mid-sized signage wall.
The redundancy option between the two Ethernet ports deserves close attention on a rental contract where a cable failure mid-show is not acceptable: setting the two ports to redundancy rather than load-sharing doubles the reliability of the final link at the cost of halving usable capacity.
- Capacity per port: up to 650,000 pixels.
- Total card capacity: up to 1.3 million pixels across both ports.
- Redundancy available between the two Ethernet ports to secure the link.
- Shielded RJ45 cable recommended for runs exposed to electrical interference on a stage.
In redundancy mode only one port actually carries the active image at any given time: do not size your wall on the combined capacity of both ports if link protection is enabled.
6. Cascading several cards via UART
When a wall exceeds the capacity of a single card, up to 20 MSD300 units can be cascaded through their UART IN/OUT ports. This setup is common on large rental panels made of several sub-screens driven from a single control case.
Cascade wiring follows a chain principle: the UART OUT of one card connects to the UART IN of the next. Each card keeps its own Ethernet outputs feeding its own screen segment; only the control signal travels through the UART chain.
- Up to 20 MSD300 cards cascadable via UART IN/OUT.
- Each card keeps its own two Ethernet outputs for its screen segment.
- Useful for rental panels made of several sub-screens.
- Check the cascade order before power-up to ease later troubleshooting.
7. Configuring settings in NovaLCT
Once the chassis is wired, configuration is done from a PC connected to the MSD300 through its USB type B port, using NovaLCT. The software auto-detects the sending card and lets you set the input resolution, the pixel split across the two output ports, and whether network redundancy is enabled.
From NovaLCT it is also possible to connect a light sensor to the dedicated connector to automatically adjust screen brightness according to ambient light, a feature valued on outdoor signage exposed to strong day/night contrast.
- Connect to the MSD300 via USB type B from a PC running NovaLCT.
- Automatic detection of the card and its firmware version.
- Pixel split across the two Ethernet ports configured in the software.
- Light sensor connected for automatic outdoor brightness adjustment.
Save the validated configuration file at the end of setup: it lets you quickly reconfigure an identical replacement card without redoing every parameter one by one.
8. Replacing a card on a live installation
On a wall already in service, replacing the MSD300 should be planned to keep downtime short. Cut power to the chassis, disconnect the DVI cable, both Ethernet cables, the USB cable and any UART cables while noting their exact position, then unscrew the failed card from its mount.
Fit the replacement card, reconnect the cables in the same order, power the chassis back on, then reload the configuration file previously saved from NovaLCT. Check the display across the whole wall before repacking the case or closing the signage cabinet.
- Cut power before any cable handling.
- Note the position of each cable before disconnecting.
- Fit the new card and reconnect in the same order.
- Reload the saved configuration file to avoid a full re-setup.
- Check the whole display before final restart.
Never reuse a replacement card without checking its firmware version: an outdated version may reject recent configuration files and leave the screen blank after restart.
9. MSD300 or MSD600: choosing for your chassis
The MSD300 and MSD600 share the same bare-card, chassis-mounted approach, but do not target the same wall size. The MSD300 is limited to two Ethernet outputs for a total capacity of 1.3 million pixels, while the MSD600 carries more ports and targets larger-capacity walls. For a compact rental case or a standard-sized signage cabinet, the MSD300 is enough; for a wall needing more than two network outputs from a single card, look at the MSD600 instead.
Do not mix MSD300 and MSD600 cards on the same wall without checking in NovaLCT first: pixel allocation across different card generations is configured separately.
10. Troubleshooting common issues
Most MSD300 issues involve the DVI input, low-voltage power, or a cabling mix-up during a card swap. The table below lists the checks to run before considering a card replacement.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| RUN LED flashes slowly | No video signal on the DVI input | Check the source, DVI cable and any converter |
| STA LED off | No power or supply outside 3.3-5.5 V range | Check the chassis power supply |
| Part of the wall not displaying | Faulty RJ45 cable or port overloaded | Test the cable and check the 650,000-pixel-per-port limit |
| Card not detected by NovaLCT | Faulty USB cable or driver not installed | Replace the USB cable and reinstall the NovaLCT driver |
| UART cascade not responding | Chain order reversed or UART cable miswired | Check the IN/OUT direction on every card in the chain |
Procedure steps
Prepare cables and power
Gather the DVI, USB, RJ45 and any UART cables needed, and check the chassis power supply delivers 3.3 to 5.5 V.
Mount the card inside the chassis
Fit an insulating support then screw the MSD300 in place, leaving clear access to the USB type B connector.
Wire the DVI input
Connect the video source or the HDMI-to-DVI converter to the card's single-link input.
Wire the two Ethernet outputs
Connect both RJ45 ports to the receiving cards, enabling redundancy if reliability matters more than total capacity.
Cascade cards if needed
Connect the UART IN/OUT ports in order to synchronise up to 20 cards from a single control case.
Configure in NovaLCT
Connect the PC via USB, detect the card, set the input resolution and pixel split, then save the configuration.
Check the whole display
Verify the image across the entire screen before closing the chassis or signage cabinet.
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum capacity of the MSD300?
Up to 650,000 pixels per port, for a total of 1.3 million pixels across the two Ethernet outputs, per the official V2.4.2 specification sheet.
Can the MSD300 accept an HDMI source directly?
No, its input is a single-link DVI connector. An HDMI source must go through an HDMI-to-DVI converter upstream.
How many MSD300 cards can be cascaded?
Up to 20 cards via their UART IN/OUT ports, with each card keeping its own Ethernet outputs feeding its own screen segment.
Do I have to fully reconfigure a replacement card?
No, if a configuration file was saved beforehand in NovaLCT: simply reload it onto the new card.
What is the difference between the MSD300 and the MSD600?
The MSD300 is limited to two Ethernet outputs for 1.3 million pixels, while the MSD600 offers more ports for larger-capacity walls.
Downloads
See also
Planning a NovaStar sending card integration?
PIXELIGHT's team can help you integrate NovaStar sending cards into your rental chassis or signage cabinets, from wiring through to NovaLCT setup.