An NCP file is a NovaStar cabinet package: one file carrying a cabinet type’s receiving-card firmware, configuration and factory calibration. Here is what’s inside, which cards use it, and how it is loaded.
What an NCP file does
Every LED cabinet has to be told how it is built and tuned: the receiving-card firmware it should run, the configuration that matches its modules and driver ICs, and the image-quality data measured at the factory. Before NCP, those lived in separate files — and a mismatch between them was a common cause of display faults.
The NCP format collapses all of it into one file per cabinet type. NovaStar introduced it with the COEX control system to end the file-management problem: one cabinet type, one package, nothing to mix up.
What’s inside the package
NovaStar describes the NCP as an integrated package of up to six components. The first three are included by default; the last three depend on the card and how the cabinet was tuned.
- Receiving-card firmware — the exact program the cabinet should run, so a routine upgrade can’t overwrite customized behavior. (default)
- Configuration file — the RCFGX data: module information, cabinet data groups, driver-IC parameters, refresh rate and GCLK frequency. (default)
- Image Booster file — grayscale and color-management data (22bit+, precise grayscale, color gamut settings) measured for that cabinet. (default)
- Thermal compensation file — corrects the color shift that appears as a screen heats unevenly over long runtime. Requires cards that support it: A10s Pro, CA50E and XA50 Pro.
- Frame rate adaptive file — lets the screen follow input sources from 23 Hz to 240 Hz while holding brightness consistent. Requires a supported driver IC; A10s Pro and CA50E support the full function.
- Multi-mode parameter file — several parameter sets for the same cabinet (for example an indoor and an outdoor brightness mode), switchable from VMP.
Getting the driver-IC parameters right is what the package protects: NovaStar notes that unreasonable parameters lead to cross-panel coupling, ghosting, color blocks, low-gray color shift and flicker.
Which receiving cards use NCP?
NCP is the file format of NovaStar’s COEX-generation receiving cards. Cards managed through NCP packages include the A5s Plus, A7s Plus, A8s, A8s-N, A10s Plus-N, A10s Pro, CA50E and XA50 Pro.
New A10s Pro cabinets ship with an NCP by default. For the other models, the LED manufacturer requests the package from NovaStar when it is needed. Image Booster support specifically requires the A8s, A8s-N, A10s Plus-N, A10s Pro, CA50E or XA50 Pro.
Who makes NCP files — and why you can’t edit one
Unlike an RCFGX, which anyone can save from NovaLCT, NCP production is licensed and controlled by NovaStar. The file is produced by NovaStar engineers together with the LED manufacturer during factory debugging: driver-IC bring-up, frame-rate configuration, optical correction and thermal calibration, finished before the screen ships.
End users cannot create, edit or rename an NCP file. If a cabinet needs different parameters, the change goes back through the manufacturer and NovaStar. In day-to-day use you only receive the file and load it.
How to load an NCP file
- On a COEX controller (MX series): use VMP. Import the file into the Cabinet Library, or apply it under Tools > Maintain > Cabinet. The Cabinet Library also syncs packages across controllers and computers so the file is not lost when hardware changes.
- On MCTRL, H series or VX controllers: use NovaLCT 5.5.0 or newer and send the package via Tools > More > Send NCP.
- After sending: Image Booster, thermal compensation and display modes are switched on from VMP’s image-quality settings.
NCP vs RCFGX
| RCFGX | NCP | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Receiving-card configuration file | Complete cabinet package |
| Contains | Module info, data groups, driver-IC parameters, refresh rate, GCLK | The RCFGX plus firmware, Image Booster data and optional thermal / frame-rate / multi-mode files |
| Created by | Anyone, in NovaLCT | NovaStar engineers with the LED manufacturer (licensed) |
| Editable by users | Yes, in NovaLCT | No |
| Typical hardware | 1G cards: Armor A-series, MRV, DH | COEX-generation cards: A10s Pro, CA50E, XA50 Pro and supported A-series |
| Loaded with | NovaLCT | VMP, or NovaLCT 5.5.0+ (Send NCP) |
Full detail on the configuration side is in our RCFGX file guide. For how a whole wall’s cabinet layout is stored, see the SCR file guide.
Running COEX hardware? We stock the receiving cards behind NCP workflows — A10s Pro, CA50E and XA50 Pro — with published pricing.
Related resources
NCP file FAQ
Short answers on the NovaStar cabinet package format.
What is an NCP file?
An NCP file is a NovaStar cabinet package: one file that bundles a cabinet type’s receiving-card firmware, configuration file and factory image-quality data, so the cabinet can be set up in a single step instead of juggling separate files.
Can I download a generic NCP file for my cabinets?
No. An NCP is built for one specific cabinet type during factory tuning. The correct file comes from your LED cabinet manufacturer. A file made for a different cabinet carries the wrong driver-IC parameters and calibration.
What software opens an NCP file?
NovaStar VMP manages NCP files on COEX controllers through its Cabinet Library. On MCTRL, H series and VX controllers, NovaLCT 5.5.0 or newer can send an NCP via Tools > More > Send NCP.
Can I create or edit an NCP file myself?
No. NCP production is licensed by NovaStar and done by NovaStar engineers together with the LED manufacturer before shipment. The file name also follows a required convention and should not be changed. If a parameter needs to change, the request goes back through your manufacturer.
Is an NCP file the same as an RCFGX file?
No. The RCFGX is the receiving-card configuration on its own — and it is one of the files packed inside an NCP. The NCP adds the firmware, image booster data and other factory calibration on top. See our RCFGX file guide.
Which receiving cards ship with an NCP by default?
New A10s Pro cabinets come with an NCP file by default. For other Armor-series cards the package is produced when the LED manufacturer requests it.