What is the NovaStar Vunit 3000?
If you are automating a room rather than driving a screen, the NovaStar Vunit 3000 is the central control processor that runs it. It holds the program that ties the room together. So one press on a wall panel or a tablet can dim the lights, drop the projector screen, switch the source and power up the display.
It reaches each device the way that device expects. Your projector takes serial, a screen motor or a contactor takes a relay, and a TV that only ever had a remote takes infrared. Anything already on the network is reached over Ethernet.
Nothing about it is fixed. You build the control logic yourself in NovaStar’s BCTools software, and you build the screen your client touches as well, down to the icons and the fonts.
NovaStar aims it at conference and multimedia rooms, exhibition centers, press rooms and command and monitoring centers. It is not LED screen hardware and it does not replace a controller or a receiving card.
Which cards does your room need?
Your own equipment list answers that, because the cards decide the sockets. The Vunit 3000 is a slot chassis, so what appears on the back comes from the cards fitted rather than from the box itself.
Four card types go in it, in whatever combination your room calls for.
| Card | What it gives you | Reach for it when |
|---|---|---|
| Control card | 1 COM, 3 relay outputs, 2 I/O, 9 IR outputs, CAN, USB 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet | Always — this is the card the system talks to the network and the control PC through |
| 7 × COM | COM1–6 on RS232 or RS485, COM7 on RS422 or RS485, all RS485 ports also speak DMX512 | Several serial devices — projectors, matrix switchers, lighting desks |
| 12 × relay, 6 × I/O, 3 × IR | 12 relay groups at DC 30 V and 3 A, plus programmable inputs and outputs | Screen motors, blinds, contactors and anything switched rather than commanded |
| 4 in, 3 out HDMI 2.0 | A 4×3 video matrix at up to 3840×2160@60Hz with its own 3.5 mm audio output | Sources that need routing to displays inside the same box |
What matters is how each device is controlled, not how many of them you have. Ten projectors on serial is a COM card question. Ten motorised screens is a relay card question, and that is a different card.
One detail applies only to the video card. Put it in the slot marked MVR and it monitors inputs and outputs instead of routing them.
Vunit 3000 key features
It learns remotes you no longer have documentation for
Half the equipment in an older room has no published control protocol, just a handset. You point that handset at the receiver on the front of the Vunit 3000 and it learns the codes, stores them, and sends them back out through its infrared emitters. Three of those emitters come in the box.
That is often the difference between automating a room and replacing what is in it.
Your client controls it from what they already carry
Nobody wants another remote on the table. Control runs over the network from iOS, Android, HarmonyOS and Windows, so a phone, a tablet and a wall panel all drive the same system. You design what they show rather than accepting a fixed layout.
The room shuts itself down after the last meeting
The lamp hours nobody counts are the ones burned overnight and across a weekend. You set a timeline, the processor runs several control tasks against it, and the shutdown happens whether or not the last person out remembers it. The same timeline wakes the room before the first meeting.
NovaStar Vunit 3000 specifications
The two rows to weigh against your rack are the depth and the noise figure. A control processor usually ends up in the same room as the people using it.
| Processor | 32-bit ARM Cortex, industrial grade |
|---|---|
| Chassis | Slot based — rear connectors depend on the cards fitted |
| Control software | BCTools, with a visual interface designer |
| Control clients | iOS, Android, HarmonyOS and Windows over the network |
| Serial protocols | RS232, RS422, RS485, plus modbus in RTU, ASCII and TCP |
| Lighting protocol | DMX512 output on any RS485 port |
| Relay rating | DC 30 V, 3 A — use a contactor for anything heavier |
| Video | Up to 3840×2160@60Hz in and out on the HDMI card, 8-bit and 10-bit |
| Network | Gigabit Ethernet, 10/100/1000, TCP and UDP; default address 192.168.0.10 |
| Front panel | LCD screen, knob and ESC key; hold both for three seconds to lock the panel |
| USB | USB 3.0 on the front for firmware updates and project import or export |
| Power | 100–240 V, 50/60 Hz, 60 W maximum |
| Dimensions | 482.6 mm wide, 360 mm deep, 94.6 mm high; 11 kg fully populated |
| Noise | 45 dB(A) typical at 25 °C |
| Operating environment | 0 °C to 45 °C, 0% RH to 80% RH non-condensing |
| Supplied with | Power cable, Ethernet cable, DC power cable, 3 IR emitters, safety manual, certificate |
| Certification | CCC |
Figures come from NovaStar’s Vunit 3000 Professional Control Processor Specifications. The certification row lists CCC only, so if your project needs a specific North American listing, settle that before you order.
Confirm the card configuration before you order
Ask us which cards are fitted before you place the order. NovaStar publishes no standard fit-out for the Vunit 3000, and we will not guess at one. The chassis takes the four card types in combination, and the weight figure in the specification is quoted for a fully populated unit.
That is a short conversation rather than an engineering exercise. Tell us how many serial devices you have, how many switched circuits, and whether you need the HDMI matrix. The card list follows from those three numbers.
Working it out at quote time is also cheaper than after delivery. A card that has to be added later is a second order and a second visit to a rack that is already installed.
Vunit 3000 datasheet and manual
Your programming is the valuable part here, not the box, and you can carry it out on a drive. The front USB port writes the project file out and reads it back in. A replacement chassis is then loaded with the room’s configuration instead of rebuilt from scratch.
The project is worth exporting once the room is signed off, and worth keeping with the site records rather than only on the laptop that programmed it.
NovaStar Vunit 3000 FAQ
Which cards come fitted?
Ask us to confirm before you order. NovaStar publishes no standard fit-out for this chassis, so rather than guess we check the unit against your requirement and tell you what is in it.
Is the Vunit 3000 an LED controller?
No. It is a room control processor for AV and building equipment. If you need to drive an LED screen, a video processor or a sending card is the right product.
What software programs it?
BCTools, NovaStar’s visual control software, which handles both the control logic and the interface your client sees. Projects import and export through the front USB port.
Can it control equipment that only has a remote?
Yes. It learns infrared codes through the receiver on its front panel, stores them and replays them through its IR emitters, three of which are supplied.
Can it run DMX lighting?
Yes. Every RS485 port on the COM card supports DMX512 output, so lighting can be driven from the same box as everything else.
What can the relays switch?
DC 30 V at 3 A per group, which makes them control circuits rather than load circuits. Anything heavier is switched through a contactor.
Does it need a control PC running all the time?
No. The PC is for programming and updates. Once the project is loaded the processor runs it on its own, including scheduled tasks.
Is it certified for use in North America?
NovaStar lists CCC certification in its specification and no others. If your project requires a specific North American listing, confirm that requirement with us before ordering.
What warranty covers a Vunit 3000?
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 the card configuration and the quantity for volume pricing, which is worth doing on a multi-room fit-out. Purchase orders and Net 30 terms may be available for approved schools, government buyers, venues and established integrators.
How do I order a Vunit 3000?
Settle the card configuration with us first, since the rear connectors depend on it. Orders placed before 3 PM ET on in-stock items ship the same business day from Florida. Contact us to confirm current availability.
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