NovaStar CalCube MiniLED User manual

User Manual
CalCube MiniLED
Screen Calibration
XI'AN NOVASTAR TECH CO., LTD.

CalCube MiniLED Calibration User Manual
i
Change History
Document
Version
Software
Version
Release Date
Description
V2.1.0
V2.1
2021-09-17
Added the Coex control system connection.
Added the full-grayscale calibration mode.
This mode must work with the Coex control system.
Added the wider wavelength and brightness range
LED calibration function.
Added the uniformity compensation function.
Added the removing seam diagonal stripes function.
Optimized the camera parameter adjustment.
Added some troubleshooting sections.
V2.0.0
V2.0
2020-11-05
Added the C3200 camera usage.
Added the curved surface correction function.
Added the Continue Calibration function.
Optimized the document structure and style.
V1.0.1
V1.0
2020-08-03
Optimized the document content.
V1.0.0
V1.0
2019-07-09
First release
XI'AN NOVASTAR TECH CO., LTD.

CalCube MiniLED Calibration User Manual
ii
Contents
Change History ................................................................................................................................................................. i
1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Overview..................................................................................................................................................................1
Features................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Software Installation.................................................................................................................................................1
Software Introduction...............................................................................................................................................2
2 Basic Calibration Procedure...........................................................................................................................................4
3 Calibration Preparation...................................................................................................................................................7
Set up Hardware Environment.................................................................................................................................7
3.1.1 Configuration List...........................................................................................................................................7
3.1.2 System Architecture.......................................................................................................................................8
3.1.3 Calibration Environment................................................................................................................................. 9
Configure Software Environment.............................................................................................................................10
3.2.1 Network Connection.......................................................................................................................................10
3.2.2 Disable Computer Sleeping............................................................................................................................10
3.2.3 Jumbo Packet Settings ..................................................................................................................................11
Enable NovaLCT Monitoring....................................................................................................................................12
Enable Authorization................................................................................................................................................ 14
4 Create a Calibration Project...........................................................................................................................................15
5 Calibration Operation Instructions..................................................................................................................................17
Device......................................................................................................................................................................17
5.1.1 Connect a Control System ............................................................................................................................. 17
5.1.2 Connect a Camera.........................................................................................................................................19
5.1.3 Connect a Colorimeter ...................................................................................................................................20
Target.......................................................................................................................................................................20
5.2.1 Obtain Original Values ...................................................................................................................................20
5.2.2 Set Target Values........................................................................................................................................... 21
Camera.................................................................................................................................................................... 23
5.3.1 Set Partition Information.................................................................................................................................23
5.3.2 Analyze Camera Parameters .........................................................................................................................24
5.3.2.1 COB Calibration and Common Calibration...............................................................................................25
5.3.2.2 Full-Grayscale Calibration........................................................................................................................27
5.3.3 Set Areas to Be Calibrated............................................................................................................................. 30
5.3.4 Set Bezel Information..................................................................................................................................... 30
Calibration................................................................................................................................................................31
5.4.1 Configure Procedure...................................................................................................................................... 31
5.4.2 More Parameters ...........................................................................................................................................33
5.4.3 Partition Calibration........................................................................................................................................37
5.4.4 Border Correction...........................................................................................................................................41
5.4.5 Display Control...............................................................................................................................................42
5.4.6 Brightness Data..............................................................................................................................................43
5.4.7 Change Target Values....................................................................................................................................43
6 Help................................................................................................................................................................................46
Network Connection.................................................................................................................................................46
Auxiliary Tool for C3200 Camera..............................................................................................................................47
Operating Skills of Partition Imaging........................................................................................................................ 47
Method of Calibrating a 4K+ Screen........................................................................................................................48
7 Troubleshooting..............................................................................................................................................................49
View Partition Calibration Effect and Troubleshoot Problems..................................................................................49
Water Ripple Occurred After Screen Calibration......................................................................................................49
Recollect and Reanalyze Some Images.................................................................................................................. 50
XI'AN NOVASTAR TECH CO., LTD.

CalCube MiniLED Calibration User Manual
iii
C3200 Camera Connection Failed...........................................................................................................................51
Camera Parameter Analysis Failed Due to Excessive Ambient Light ......................................................................52
Camera Parameter Analysis Failed Due to Area Positioning Distance ....................................................................54
Calibrate the Display to a Specified Color Temperature...........................................................................................56
Poor Calibration Effect of A Color with Generate Target Values Enabled................................................................. 56
Remove Obvious Partition Merging Bands.............................................................................................................. 57
XI'AN NOVASTAR TECH CO., LTD.

CalCube MiniLED Calibration User Manual
www.novastar.tech
1
1 Introduction
Overview
CalCube MiniLED is the latest calibration software developed by NovaStar, which is mainly used for on-site
calibration of miniLED screens. Featuring higher calibration speed, it can greatly improve the on-site calibration
efficiency and is convenient and easy to use. With higher calibration accuracy, it can effectively eliminate color
difference and make the brightness and chroma of the entire display highly uniform. The image quality of
miniLED screens can be improved with remarkable effects.
On-site calibration requires engineers to bring calibration equipment to the screen installation site for pixel level
calibration.
Features
Mainly suitable for on-site calibration of miniLED screens
Support for mixed-light elimination technology to effectively fix the image blurring and overlap problems
caused by cross-interference of brightness between miniLEDs, offering an improved display uniformity and
smoother display effect after calibration
Camera calibration technology to measure brightness and chroma values more precisely to ensure
smoother images after calibration
Support for curved surface correction technology to eliminate curved surfaces of calibration partitions and let
the entire display be as smooth as glass and transitions between the partitions no longer a problem
Support for full-grayscale calibration mode when working with the Coex control system to fix the problem of
inconsistent uniformity at different grayscale levels, significantly improving the display image quality,
especially the indoor fine-pitch displays
12-digit calibration coefficients to reduce the brightness difference to less than ±1% and chroma difference to
less than ±0.003 after calibration
Software Installation
CalCube MiniLED is installed in the same way as an ordinary application. You can install it by following the
setup wizard. After installation, a computer restart is required.
Operating environment: Windows 7 (64-bit only), Windows 10 (64-bit only).All operations in this document are
performed in Window 10.
Note:
If any security alert from anti-virus software or firewall appears during installation, choose to allow the
installation.
XI'AN NOVASTAR TECH CO., LTD.

CalCube MiniLED Calibration User Manual
www.novastar.tech
2
Software Introduction
Navigation Page
Figure 1-1 Navigation page
Area
Content
Description
A
CalCube MiniLED
and logo
Software name and logo
V2.1
Software version
B
Functions
Support screen calibration.
Language
Supported UI languages: English and Simplified Chinese
C
Recent
: Open the selected project.
: Delete the selected project.
D
Authorization File
Add an authorization file.
: Add authorization files by choosing a folder. The software can find all the
authorization files in a folder containing five subdirectories at most.
: Delete the selected authorization file.
E
Dongle status
Display the dongle detection result: No dongles detected or The dongle was
detected.
F
New
Create a screen calibration project file.
Open Project
Open a screen calibration project file. The file extension is *.Nspro.
XI'AN NOVASTAR TECH CO., LTD.

CalCube MiniLED Calibration User Manual
www.novastar.tech
3
Main User Interface
Figure 1-2 Main user interface
Area
Content
Description
A
CalCube MiniLED
and logo
Software name and logo
V2.1
Software version
B
Device
Connect the control system, camera and colorimeter devices.
Target
Obtain the original values of LED display, set the calibration target values, etc.
Camera
Set partition information and analyze image parameters obtained by camera.
Calibration
Display the parameters used to calibrate the screen, including display control,
brightness data, target values, etc.
C
Properties
View information such as project name, module size, and screen type.
Authorization
Add or remove authorization files.
Settings
Provide functions such as setting collection interval, software timeout, expanded
module rows and columns, log save path, and more.
Help
Open the software help document.
About
Display the vendor information, including software name and version, company
information, and official email address.
Logs
Provide a direct access to the directory where the relevant logs are located for
users to easily obtain the logs.
D
Control System
Display the control system connection status.
Camera
Display the camera connection status.
Colorimeter
Display the colorimeter connection status.
Note:
If the resolution of the screen to be calibrated is higher than 2K, select Settings > Collection Interval in area C
to increase the number of interval appropriately.
XI'AN NOVASTAR TECH CO., LTD.

CalCube MiniLED Calibration User Manual
www.novastar.tech
4
2 Basic Calibration Procedure
The basic calibration procedure includes setting up calibration environment, creating a calibration project,
connecting devices, setting target values, analyzing camera parameters and enabling calibration. The main
procedure is shown in the figure below.
Figure 2-1 Main calibration procedure
Overview of Main Calibration Procedure
Following the basic calibration procedure will satisfy the requirements of most on-site calibration scenarios.
Step 1 Create a calibration project.
XI'AN NOVASTAR TECH CO., LTD.

CalCube MiniLED Calibration User Manual
www.novastar.tech
5
Step 2 Connect the control system, calibration camera and colorimeter devices.
Step 3 Collect the original values of the display and set the target values.
Step 4 Set the partition information and adjust the camera parameters.
XI'AN NOVASTAR TECH CO., LTD.

CalCube MiniLED Calibration User Manual
www.novastar.tech
6
Step 5 Enable calibration.
XI'AN NOVASTAR TECH CO., LTD.

CalCube MiniLED Calibration User Manual
www.novastar.tech
7
3 Calibration Preparation
Set up Hardware Environment
3.1.1 Configuration List
Calibration Tools
Type
Description
Camera
C1200
Collect LED display images.
C3200
Colorimeter
CS-100A
Measure the original values of the LED display. A Colorimeter,
such as light gun, color analyzer, or spectroradiometer, is a
device that measures color characteristics of the LED display.
CS-2000
CA-410
Dongle
/
It is a USB dongle and contains the software authorization file.
Controller
/
Convert audio and video signals from the computer and send
them to the LED display.
Router
/
Provide long-distance network connection.
Computer
Control computer
When the CalCube MiniLED software works with the
NovaLCT control system, install NovaLCT on the control
computer to control the LED display.
When the CalCube MiniLED software works with the Coex
control system, the software connects to the controller via
Ethernet cable directly and no control computer is needed.
Calibration computer
A computer installed with CalCube MiniLED software to
calibrate the LED display
Note
If you use the C3200 for calibration, the recommended configuration for the calibration computer is as follows.
CPU: 3.0 GHz or greater
RAM: 16 G or greater
Network adapter: Intel(R) Ethernet Connection network adapter
Operating system: Windows 10 (64-bit)
Required System
Name
Version
Control system
NovaLCT
V5.3.1 or later
Coex
V1.0.0 or later
XI'AN NOVASTAR TECH CO., LTD.

CalCube MiniLED Calibration User Manual
www.novastar.tech
8
3.1.2 System Architecture
Figure 3-1 System architecture - one computer used
Figure 3-2 System architecture - two computers used
Note:
Before calibration, make sure that the calibration computer and graphics card have the same resolution
and the scale is set to 100%. In addition, scaling must be disabled on the controller.
XI'AN NOVASTAR TECH CO., LTD.

CalCube MiniLED Calibration User Manual
www.novastar.tech
9
When the CalCube MiniLED software works with the Coex control system, the software connects to the
controller via Ethernet cable directly and only one computer is enough. There is no distinction between
control computer and calibration computer.
3.1.3 Calibration Environment
Light Requirements
Ensure the following calibration site requirements are met:
There is no external light interference during the calibration process and there is no obvious light around the
screen.
There is no infrared light emitting equipment (such as infrared light-sensing camera) at the camera
alignment position.
Calibration Distance
Fixed-focus lens
When using a fixed-focus lens for calibration, make sure that the LED display image is in the center of the
preview area and takes only 4/5 of the preview area.
For example, when calibrating a COB screen with a pixel pitch of P0.9, the best distance for 4K screens is 7
m to 8 m, and the best distance for 2K screens is 3 m to 4 m.
Note:
The camera lens needs to be perpendicular to the center of the screen (left and right center + up and down
center) to avoid a large angle, otherwise abnormal results such as Moiréare likely to occur.
Zoom lens
The calibration distance for a zoom lens can be calculated using the angle calculation method.
Step 1 Face the camera to the LED display and place the camera on the center line between the left and right sides of
the display.
Step 2 Ensure the angle between the perpendicular line from the camera to the LED display and the line from the
camera to the 4 edges of the LED display must be less than 30°. As illustrated in Figure 3-3, both angle A and B
must be less than 30°.
Figure 3-3 Illustration of calibration angle
XI'AN NOVASTAR TECH CO., LTD.

CalCube MiniLED Calibration User Manual
www.novastar.tech
10
Configure Software Environment
3.2.1 Network Connection
When the CalCube MiniLED software works with the NovaLCT control system, network connection settings are
required. When the CalCube MiniLED software works with the Coex control system, the software connects to
the controller via Ethernet cable directly and there is no distinction between control computer and calibration
computer. In this situation, skip this section.
If the control computer and calibration computer are the same one:
No network connection is required. The entire calibration procedure can be completed on the single
computer.
If the control computer and calibration computer are separate:
If the distance between the two computers is within 100 meters, use Ethernet cables to connect them directly.
If the distance is greater than 100 meters, connect them wirelessly.
−Cable connection: Connect the computers to the LAN ports of the router with Ethernet cable.
−Wireless connection: Connect the computers to the Wi-Fi of the router.
With cable connection or wireless connection, IP addresses of the two computers and the default IP
address of router must be on the same network segment when a control system is connected for
calibration.
Figure 3-4 Connection method
Note:
When two computers are used, the calibration computer's Ethernet port needs to be connected directly to
the C3200 camera. To realize communication between the calibration computer and control computer,
connect a HUB that converts USB to Ethernet port to a USB port of the calibration computer.
The control computer and calibration computer can be laptop or desktop computer.
3.2.2 Disable Computer Sleeping
Step 1 Right-click a blank area on the desktop of the control computer and select Personalize.
Step 2 On the displayed page, select Screen Saver in the lower right corner.
Step 3 Choose Change power settings > Change plan settings.
Step 4 Set the computer sleeping settings to Never.
XI'AN NOVASTAR TECH CO., LTD.

CalCube MiniLED Calibration User Manual
www.novastar.tech
11
3.2.3 Jumbo Packet Settings
If you use the C3200 for calibration, the calibration computer requires jumbo packet settings. If you use the
C1200, ignore this section.
Step 1 Right-click the Computer icon on the desktop and select Manage to open the Computer Management page.
Step 2 Click Device Manager on the left panel and then select Network adapters.
Step 3 In the drop-down options under Network adapters, double-click the computer's primary network adapter. At the
same time, make sure that the C3200 calibration camera is connected to the computer's primary network
adapter.
Step 4 In the displayed properties window, click the Advanced tab and change the following adapter parameters.
Set Jumbo Packet to 9014 Bytes.
XI'AN NOVASTAR TECH CO., LTD.

CalCube MiniLED Calibration User Manual
www.novastar.tech
12
Set Receive Buffers to 2048.
Step 5 Click OK.
Enable NovaLCT Monitoring
If the CalCube MiniLED software works with the NovaLCT control system, listening settings are required. If the
Coex control system is used, ignore this section.
Step 1 Open NovaLCT and ensure good communication between the calibration computer and control computer.
Step 2 Choose User > Advanced Synchronous System User Login, enter the password (initial password: admin),
and click Login.
Figure 3-5 Login
Step 3 Click Calibration to open the calibration page.
XI'AN NOVASTAR TECH CO., LTD.

CalCube MiniLED Calibration User Manual
www.novastar.tech
13
Figure 3-6 Calibration button
Step 4 On the Screen Calibration page, set Local IP and Port under Network Setting.
Local IP: Indicates the IP address of the control computer. This IP address and the IP address of the
calibration computer must be on the same network segment.
Port: The default value is 8080.
If a message saying Enable network monitoring successfully is displayed, the monitoring settings are done
in NovaLCT. If a message indicating that monitoring failed is displayed, please check whether the network
connection is normal and whether there is a port conflict. If there is a conflict, change the port number and try
again.
Figure 3-7 Ready for calibration
XI'AN NOVASTAR TECH CO., LTD.

CalCube MiniLED Calibration User Manual
www.novastar.tech
14
Enable Authorization
The authorization management method of CalCube MiniLED is that a dongle and an authorization file are bond.
A dongle corresponds to an authorization file. Both the dongle and authorization file are required. The
authorization file can be obtained from the USB drive provided along with the software.
Step 1 Open CalCube MiniLED and insert the dongle into the USB port of the calibration computer.
Step 2 In the Authorization File area, click or to import the authorization file corresponding to the dongle.
The software will search for and find all the authorization files in a folder containing five subdirectories at most,
and import them to the software.
Note:
1. During authorization file importing, if both the newly imported camera ID and authorization ID are the same
as the authorization information imported earlier, the new information will replace the old information by
default.
2. During authorization file importing, if the newly imported camera ID is the same as the camera ID imported
earlier but the new and old authorization IDs are different, the software will automatically add the new
authorization file.
3. A camera ID can correspond to more than one authorization ID, but an authorization ID can correspond to
only one camera ID.
XI'AN NOVASTAR TECH CO., LTD.

CalCube MiniLED Calibration User Manual
www.novastar.tech
15
4 Create a Calibration Project
Step 1 Click the Screen Calibration button to open the project page.
Step 2 (Optional) On the displayed Project page, change the project name.
The project name defaults to "New_Screen_YearMonthDayHourMinuteSecond". The project name can contain
Chinese characters, English letters, numbers and underlines. You are advised to use an easy-to-understand
project name, for example, "Screen_20190514190954".
Step 3 Click next to Path to choose a path to save the project. The default path is desktop.
Figure 4-1 Choosing project save path
Step 4 Click next to Image Save Path to choose a path to save the images. The default path is
Documents/NovaCLB/Screen.
XI'AN NOVASTAR TECH CO., LTD.

CalCube MiniLED Calibration User Manual
www.novastar.tech
16
Figure 4-2 Choosing image save path
Step 5 Check whether the sizes of modules are the same. They are the same by default.
Same: Go to Step 6.
Different: Got to Step 7.
Step 6 Enter Module Width and Module Height values.
Note:
Please enter the values according to the actual module size to ensure a perfect transition of differences
between modules after calibration.
Step 7 Deselect Same Module Size to skip module size setting.
Step 8 Select a calibration mode from COB screen calibration, Common screen calibration and Full-grayscale
calibration.
For common COB screens, select COB screen calibration.
To ensure good calibration effect at middle-grayscale level and low-grayscale level and if the calibration site
has a complete set of Coex control system, select Full-grayscale calibration.
For common screens, select Common screen calibration.
Step 9 Click OK to finish creating a project and enter the main user interface.
XI'AN NOVASTAR TECH CO., LTD.