Pixelhue to NovaStar COEX Over Fiber, No Converters Needed

Running video from front of house to an LED screen 200 metres away usually means a fiber link with a converter at each end. With Pixelhue switchers and NovaStar COEX controllers you can skip those converters: the Pixelhue fiber output plugs straight into the fiber port of a NovaStar MX30 or MX40 Pro. Here's how the setup works and what you need.

The problem with converter pairs

Once an AV signal has to travel more than about 100 metres, copper stops being an option. The classic fix is a pair of optical-to-electrical converters: one at the source, one at the screen. Every extra box adds cost, power, rack space and one more thing that can fail during a show.

NovaStar and Pixelhue now support a direct, all-fiber link. The Pixelhue device sends video over fiber, and the COEX controller receives it on its own optical port. No converters in between.

Which devices work together

The Pixelhue fiber extenders also handle signals from any source, not only Pixelhue switchers:

• EP2 (2 optical ports): 4K at 30 Hz per port on its own, or 4K at 60 Hz when used as a pair, for up to two 4K images.
• EP4 / EP4 Pro (4 optical ports): up to two 4K images on its own, or up to four when used as a pair.

Distance and cabling

• Single-mode fiber: up to 3 km (with NovaStar's EOLP-1396-10-I optical modules).
• Multi-mode fiber: up to 300 m (with EOLP-8596-02-I modules).
• Use dual-core LC cables, such as our armoured single-mode LC cable or OM4 multi-mode LC cable.

The link carries 10-bit video, HDR and 3D, and supports HDCP 2.2 (and 1.4).

How the COEX side works

• Automatic port direction. The COEX optical ports detect whether they're receiving or sending. On the MX30, one fiber port can take the Pixelhue input while the other drives the screen.
• MX40 Pro port rules. Using OPT1 and OPT2 as inputs leaves OPT3 and OPT4 for output. Two neighbouring ports can't both be used when one of them is an input.
• Two links, one image. Two fiber inputs can be joined into one wide source (OPT1 left half, OPT2 right half), as long as both have the same resolution and frame rate.
• Layers. In this mode the MX40 Pro gives you 4 layers and the MX30 gives you 2.
• Control. The output can lock its frame rate to the fiber source, and you can switch sources from a lighting console over Art-Net.
• Firmware. VMP and the controller need COEX firmware V1.5.0 or later with fiber-input support. We can help you get the right version.

Why it's worth it

• Fewer devices to buy, power, rack and carry.
• Fewer connections that can fail during a show.
• One fiber run from the switcher at FOH to the LED processor at the screen, up to 3 km away.
• A complete chain from one vendor family, so compatibility is tested.

Get a quote for a Pixelhue + COEX system

We sell both Pixelhue and NovaStar, so we can quote the whole chain: switcher or extender, COEX controller, optical modules and fiber. Pixelhue products are quoted on request. Tell us your sources, screen size and cable distance, and we'll put the system together.

Browse Pixelhue → · Browse NovaStar COEX →

Source: NovaStar COEX Wiki, PIXELHUE and COEX Total Fiber Solution.