What is the NovaStar CVT4K-M?
If you cannot let a single failure take your screen down, the NovaStar CVT4K-M is the sixteen-port multimode fiber converter built for that. It gives you sixteen Neutrik Gigabit Ethernet ports over 300 m of OM3 or OM4 fiber, runs two power supplies at once, and keeps a spare optical path standing by for each working one.
You will find it on the work where a dark wall is not survivable: touring, broadcast, arena and control-room installations. The locking Ethernet connectors, the two power inlet types and the mapped backup optics answer things that go wrong on your live site, rather than reading well on a spec sheet.
Ports and optics run in both directions, so you put the same model at your controller end and at your screen end of one link.
CVT4K-M key features
Two power supplies, so one failure is a spare part
Your least glamorous route to a dark screen is a single power supply, and it is one of the most common. The CVT4K-M runs dual redundant supplies and offers two inlet types, a 3-pin socket and a PowerCON, so you can feed it from two different distribution paths. A dead supply becomes a replacement part rather than a black wall.
Backup optics that are mapped, not spare capacity
You look at four optical ports on a datasheet and read four times the throughput, and planning on that is how your job runs out of ports. OPT1 and OPT2 do the carrying; OPT3 backs up OPT1 and OPT4 backs up OPT2. Two working paths, two standing ready, and no extra bandwidth to be had from the pair in reserve.
Ethernet connectors that stay in
Your worst kind of fault is an RJ45 plug pulled half out by a passing flight case, because it comes and goes. All sixteen Ethernet ports on the CVT4K-M are Neutrik connectors, which latch. On a system you pack into a truck, that is the difference between a cable check and an intermittent nobody can find.
Two ways to reach it from a control computer
Getting your laptop to a converter racked behind a wall of cable is its own small job. The CVT4K-M offers a type-B USB port and a control Ethernet port, so you can reach it over the network as well as at the front of the rack. The USB port is for a control computer and does not cascade units.
NovaStar CVT4K-M specifications
You want the depth and rack-loading rows before you choose your rack, because this chassis runs deeper than the rest of the range.
| Ethernet ports | 16 × Neutrik Gigabit, usable as inputs or outputs |
|---|---|
| Optical ports | 4 × multimode twin-core LC, two working and two backup |
| Optical module | 850 nm, 9.95 Gbit/s to 11.3 Gbit/s, installed at the factory, hot pluggable |
| Fiber to order | OM3 or OM4 multimode twin-core, 50/125 µm, LC connectors, insertion loss ≤ 0.2 dB, return loss ≥ 45 dB |
| Optical distance | 300 m |
| Power | Dual redundant supplies; 100–240 V~, 50/60 Hz, 1.6 A, through a 3-pin socket and a PowerCON. Do not connect or disconnect the PowerCON under power |
| Rated power consumption | 21 W |
| Control ports | 1 × type-B USB and 1 × Ethernet, both for a control computer. Neither cascades units |
| Rack fixing | Standard 19-inch rack, four M5 screws, with the rack rated to at least four times the mounted equipment weight |
| Operating environment | −20°C to +60°C, 10% to 90% RH, non-condensing |
| Dimensions and net weight | 482.6 × 377.0 × 96.0 mm, 4.6 kg |
| Certifications | CE, RoHS, FCC, UL and cUL, EAC, CB, IC, RCM |
| Supplied in the box | Power cord, Ethernet cable, USB cable, 12 × M4*10 screws |
The row that catches buyers out is the 377.0 mm depth. It runs well past the CVT10 chassis, so it is worth holding against your shallow racks and touring cases before your order goes in.
Which optical port carries which Ethernet ports
You do not get to pick which Ethernet ports sit behind which optical port. The mapping is fixed, so your fiber plan follows from it rather than the other way round.
| Optical port | Role | Ethernet ports it serves | What its loss means |
|---|---|---|---|
| OPT1 | Working | 1 to 8 | Ports 1 to 8 stop unless OPT3 is terminated |
| OPT2 | Working | 9 to 16 | Ports 9 to 16 stop unless OPT4 is terminated |
| OPT3 | Backup for OPT1 | 1 to 8 | Nothing, while OPT1 is healthy |
| OPT4 | Backup for OPT2 | 9 to 16 | Nothing, while OPT2 is healthy |
Treat that last column as your cable order. Two fibers make your system work; four fibers make it survive a cut, and the second pair only earns its cost when you run it on a different physical route from the first. Lose OPT1 with nothing on OPT3 and half your wall goes black.
If your wall needs more than eight ports on one side of the mapping, plan both working optical ports from the start. There is no way to move ports 9 to 16 onto OPT1.
Where a CVT4K-M is used on an LED display system
You reach for a CVT4K-M on jobs where a dark screen has a cost attached, and where your run stays inside one venue on multimode fiber.
Your decision here is rarely about port count. Two CVT10-M units reach the same distance with more ports for less money; you buy the CVT4K-M for the redundancy and the locking connectors.
If your sixteen ports have to travel further than 300 m, order the CVT4K-S. Identical chassis and mapping, on single-mode fiber to 10 km.
CVT4K-M or two CVT10-M units
You are weighing more ports for less money against redundancy the pair cannot give you: two CVT10-M units win the first, the CVT4K-M wins the second. That is the whole comparison, and it usually turns on whether your job can tolerate an outage.
| CVT4K-M | Two CVT10-M units | |
|---|---|---|
| Ethernet ports | 16, Neutrik locking | 20, standard RJ45 |
| Working fiber pairs | 2 | 2 |
| Backup optical path | Mapped, OPT3 and OPT4 | OPT2 on each unit |
| Power supplies | Two, redundant, with two inlet types | One per unit |
| Chassis | One, 4.6 kg, 377 mm deep | Two half-1U units, 2.1 kg each |
| Reach | 300 m | 300 m |
| Price at one end | $2,938 | $2,300 |
- Order the CVT4K-M for touring, broadcast or any wall where a power supply failure is not an acceptable outcome. The locking connectors matter as much as the redundancy on a system that gets packed and unpacked.
- Order two CVT10-M units for a fixed indoor install where the rack has one clean supply. At $2,300 against $2,938 the pair costs less and delivers four more ports.
- Order the CVT4K-S instead when the same sixteen ports have to travel on single-mode fiber, which takes the reach to 10 km.
NovaStar CVT4K-M manual, datasheet and specifications
You lose no screen configuration when you swap a CVT4K-M chassis, because none is held inside it. The specification sheet carries the optical mapping, the fiber grades and the mechanical figures your rack or touring case has to accommodate.
NovaStar CVT4K-M FAQ
Do the four optical ports give four times the capacity?
No, your four optical ports do not give you four times the capacity. OPT1 and OPT2 carry the data, for Ethernet ports 1 to 8 and 9 to 16 respectively. OPT3 and OPT4 are their backups and add no throughput.
How many fibers does a CVT4K-M link need?
Your CVT4K-M link needs two pairs to work and four to be protected. The backup pair only helps if you run it on a different physical route from the working pair.
How far will a CVT4K-M reach?
Your CVT4K-M reaches 300 m on OM3 or OM4 multimode fiber at 850 nm. If your run is longer than that, the CVT4K-S covers 10 km on single-mode.
Are the power supplies really redundant?
Yes, the power supplies are genuinely redundant. NovaStar specifies dual redundant supplies with two inlet types, a 3-pin socket and a PowerCON, so you can bring two independent feeds into the chassis.
Can standard RJ45 leads be used in the Neutrik ports?
Yes, your standard RJ45 lead seats in a Neutrik chassis connector. It simply will not latch, so your touring system loses the mechanical retention you bought it for.
Does it need two units for one link?
You need two units only when the device at your rack end has no optical port. Where your controller already carries multimode 10G optics, one CVT4K-M at the screen completes the link.
How deep is the chassis?
The chassis is 377.0 mm deep, on a 482.6 mm width and 96.0 mm height, at 4.6 kg. That is the figure to hold against your shallow racks and touring cases before you order.
What is the control Ethernet port for?
The control Ethernet port connects your control computer, as an alternative to the type-B USB port. Neither port cascades converters.
What warranty covers a CVT4K-M?
Your CVT4K-M carries a three-year serial-tracked manufacturer warranty, because these units come through our authorized US NovaStar channel.
Can I get volume pricing or Net 30 terms?
Yes on volume pricing, so send the model and the quantity you need. Purchase orders and Net 30 terms may be available for approved schools, government buyers, venues and established integrators.
How do I order a CVT4K-M?
You order a CVT4K-M at the listed price per chassis, and your link needs one at each end unless your controller has its own multimode optical port. 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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