What is the NovaStar CVT10-S?
You reach for the NovaStar CVT10-S when your screen sits at the far end of a single-mode fiber run: it carries the LED controller’s output up to 10 km and delivers it as ten Gigabit Ethernet ports. Order it when the screen is in another building, at the far side of a campus, or anywhere a copper run was never an option.
Your choice between the two CVT10 models is settled by the glass already in the ground, not by ambition. The CVT10-S uses 1310 nm optics on OS1 or OS2 fiber; the CVT10-M uses 850 nm on multimode. The as-built drawings, the record of what was actually installed, settle which one you order, because the two do not interoperate on the same strand.
Everything past the fiber behaves the way it did on a short copper link. Your controller still builds the layout, your receiving cards still address the cabinets, and the CVT10-S adds no processing of its own on the way through.
CVT10-S key features
Ten ports arriving 10 km away
You would otherwise need a second equipment room, a second operator and a second set of spares to drive a screen on the far side of a site. One CVT10-S on a single-mode pair puts ten Gigabit ports next to the cabinets instead, and leaves the controller where your sources and your operator already are. One rack keeps the whole system.
A wrong patch lead is what usually kills a single-mode link
Your patch leads, the short jumpers in the panel, are where this link usually dies. Single-mode and multimode jumpers share the same LC connector and fit each other perfectly, so one wrong lead looks exactly like a dead converter. The CVT10-S wants 9/125 µm OS1 or OS2 throughout, jumpers included. The link decides the lead, not the socket.
OPT2 for a second duct
On a 10 km route, your link rarely fails to a lead someone stepped on. It fails to an excavator or a flooded chamber, and the repair takes days. In CVT mode OPT1 is the master port and OPT2 the backup, so a second pair down a separate duct can sit connected and waiting. The road closes and the screen carries on.
Half-1U at both ends of the run
You need two converters on a long link, and the far one usually lands in a roadside cabinet or a building services room with very little space to spare. A CVT10-S is half-1U wide and draws 18 W. Two units share one rack space, and the joining plate that makes them fit is in the box with the brackets.
NovaStar CVT10-S specifications
Your fiber records for the site are the thing to have open beside this table. The optical rows are the ones that decide whether a route you already own can be reused.
| Ethernet ports | 10 × Gigabit RJ45 |
|---|---|
| Optical ports | 2 × 10G, LC. OPT1 is the master port and OPT2 the backup in CVT mode |
| Optical module | 1310 nm, 9.95 Gbit/s to 11.3 Gbit/s, fitted at the factory, hot-swappable |
| Fiber to order | OS1 or OS2 single-mode twin-core, 9/125 µm, LC connectors, insertion loss ≤ 0.3 dB, return loss ≥ 45 dB |
| Optical distance | 10 km |
| Control port | 1 × type-B USB, for program upgrades from NovaLCT V5.4.0 or later. It is not a cascade port |
| Working mode | CVT, the fiber converter mode. The DIS position is reserved and not currently supported |
| Power | 100–240 V~, 50/60 Hz, 0.6 A, PowerCON. Do not connect or disconnect it under power |
| Rated power consumption | 18 W |
| Operating environment | −20°C to +55°C, 0% to 80% RH, non-condensing |
| Dimensions and net weight | 254.3 × 50.6 × 290.0 mm, 2.1 kg |
| Supplied in the box | Power cord, USB cable, supporting brackets A and B, connecting piece, 12 × M3*8 screws, assembling diagram, certificate of approval |
What does the controller end need?
Your controller end needs a 10G optical port with a single-mode module in it. When it has one, a single CVT10-S at the screen finishes the link; when the controller is RJ45-only, your run takes two units, one at each end.
Mode is the detail that gets assumed rather than checked. Several NovaStar devices are sold with a choice of optics, and a multimode module at your rack end will not reach a CVT10-S however good the fiber is.
| Rack-end device | What NovaStar documents for its optics | Check before ordering |
|---|---|---|
| VX1000 and VX1000 Pro | Two 10G OPT ports, offered with a single-mode module at 1310 nm on OS1/OS2 for 10 km, or a multimode module at 850 nm for 300 m | Which of the two module types is actually fitted |
| MCTRL660 Pro | Two 10G OPT ports; single-mode twin-core on LC at 1310 nm for 10 km, with OS1/OS2 recommended | That one OPT port carries the load of six Gigabit ports, which caps the screen behind it |
| MX_4 10G Fiber Output Card-S | Four 10G SFP+ ports at 10.3125 Gbps to a maximum of 10 km, supplied with four single-mode or multimode modules | That the single-mode build was ordered, since both are offered |
| MCTRL4K and MCTRL R5 | Four and two 10G optical ports respectively; the published specifications state the port count without naming the module mode | The mode of the fitted module, from the unit itself rather than the datasheet |
| Controllers with RJ45 outputs only, such as the MCTRL660 | No optical port at all | Budget two CVT10-S units rather than one |
How many Ethernet ports you get at the screen follows from that same device. A rack-end port running 10G with 8b/10b encoding lights ports 1 to 8 on the receiving converter, and 10.3125G with 64b/66b encoding lights all ten. The upstream device still has to be mirroring that many ports before they carry a picture.
If the module fitted at your rack end is multimode, do not buy a CVT10-S to reach further. Changing that module changes your reach; changing the converter alone does not.
What fiber and patch leads does a CVT10-S need?
A CVT10-S needs OS1 or OS2 single-mode twin-core fiber, a 9/125 µm core, LC connectors, and leads rated at 0.3 dB insertion loss or better with 45 dB return loss or better. Those are the values NovaStar publishes for this module, and they apply to the jumpers as much as to the buried run.
That 10 km is an optical figure for the strand between two converters, and every patch panel, splice tray and jumper you pass through comes out of the same budget. If your route measures 9 km on the drawing and goes through four chambers, you want a light-loss test before anyone specifies converters.
Your copper still behaves like copper at both ends. A 10 km fiber leg with a 90 m tail into the cabinets is a route of 10.09 km, and that tail keeps its own limits regardless of what the fiber can do.
If your site turns out to be multimode, order the CVT10-M instead. Ten ports, the same chassis and the same price; 850 nm optics and 300 m of reach in place of 10 km.
Where a CVT10-S is used on an LED display system
You will recognize your own site in one of these. The screen and the equipment rack are in different buildings, and somebody already put single-mode fiber between them.
None of them are asking you for more bandwidth. The CVT10-S carries the same ten Gigabit ports as its multimode sibling; your money buys reach, and that reach is only usable if the glass is single-mode end to end.
If your route turns out to be multimode, order the CVT10-M instead. Same ten ports and the same chassis, at 300 m rather than 10 km.
CVT10-S vs CVT320 and CVT10 Pro-S
Your choice among the three is not about the glass, because all three run 1310 nm single-mode optics. What separates them is how many Ethernet ports come out at the far end, and what you expect the box to live through.
| CVT10-S | CVT320 | CVT10 Pro-S | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethernet output | 10 × Gigabit | 1 × Gigabit | 10 × Gigabit |
| Optical | 2 × 10G, LC | 1 × 1.25 Gb/s, LC | 2 × 10G, LC |
| Single-mode reach | 10 km | 20 km | 10 km |
| Backup optical port | Yes, OPT2 | No | Yes, OPT2 |
| Chassis | Half-1U, 2.1 kg | Desktop, 0.53 kg | 1U, 5.9 kg, dustproof and waterproof, truss-clamp mounting |
| Price | $1,150 | $176 | $2,137 |
- Order the CVT320 when the screen needs one Ethernet run and nothing more. At $176 against $1,150 the CVT10-S would be nine ports of headroom nobody patches, and the smaller unit reaches twice as far.
- Order the CVT10-S when the wall needs several ports, or when a backup optical path matters enough to justify a second duct.
- Order the CVT10 Pro-S when the far end is outdoors or hung on truss. The ports and the 10 km are identical, so the extra spend is the sealed enclosure and the truss clamps rather than more capacity.
NovaStar CVT10-S manual, datasheet and NovaLCT software
You can swap a CVT10-S without touching your cabinet configuration, because nothing about the screen is stored in it. The specification sheet is the document your cabling contractor will ask for, and NovaLCT V5.4.0 or later is the version NovaStar names for a program upgrade over the USB port.
NovaStar CVT10-S FAQ
How far will a CVT10-S reach?
A CVT10-S reaches 10 km on OS1 or OS2 single-mode fiber, measured across the strand between two optical ports. Your patch panels, splices and jumpers all draw on that same budget.
Do I need one CVT10-S or two?
You need one CVT10-S when your rack-end device already has a 10G optical port with a single-mode module fitted. Two when it has only RJ45 outputs, with one unit at each end.
Can a CVT10-S run on multimode fiber?
No, a CVT10-S cannot run on multimode fiber: its optics are 1310 nm single-mode for a 9/125 µm core. If your site is multimode you want the CVT10-M, which reaches 300 m.
Why does the cheaper CVT320 reach 20 km?
The CVT320 reaches further because it carries a single 1.25 Gb/s Ethernet port rather than ten Gigabit ports over 10G optics. Lower bandwidth buys distance, so your choice is really about how many ports your screen needs.
Is OPT2 a second screen output?
No, OPT2 is not a second screen output. It backs up OPT1 in CVT mode, which is why a second duct is worth connecting on a long route. Feeding a second screen takes a second optical port at your rack end.
Are the optical modules included?
Yes, single-mode modules are already in both ports when your unit ships, and you can change either one without powering down.
Will all ten Ethernet ports carry data?
All ten Ethernet ports carry data on your receiving unit only in some cases. An upstream port at 10G with 8b/10b encoding reaches ports 1 to 8; at 10.3125G with 64b/66b encoding it reaches all ten. The unit that sends fiber has all ten regardless.
Can a CVT10-S sit in an unheated outdoor cabinet?
A CVT10-S can, but only within −20°C to +55°C and 80% RH non-condensing. If your position is genuinely exposed, the CVT10 Pro-S has the dustproof and waterproof chassis.
What warranty covers a CVT10-S?
Your CVT10-S carries three years of serial-tracked manufacturer coverage, because these units come through our authorized US NovaStar channel.
Can I get volume pricing or Net 30 terms?
Yes, send us the model and the quantity you need and we will quote volume pricing. Purchase orders and Net 30 terms may be available for approved schools, government buyers, venues and established integrators.
How do I order a CVT10-S?
You order a CVT10-S by the unit: the listed price covers one, and a two-ended run needs two of them. Orders placed before 3 PM ET on in-stock items ship the same business day. Contact us to confirm current availability.
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