ICND2038S LED Driver IC
The ICND2038S is an LED display driver chip from Chipone. This page covers its specifications, datasheet, and which NovaStar receiving cards and firmware support it.
NovaStar support
| LED Driver IC | ICND2038S |
| Manufacturer | Chipone |
| Driver type | PWM / constant-current |
ICND2038S technical specifications
| Category | General LED Driver |
| Output channels | 16 |
| PWM type | PWM |
| Grayscale (bits) | 16 |
| Output current (mA) | 0.5-45 |
| Max data clock (MHz) | 30 |
| Supply voltage (V) | 3.3-5.0 |
| Package | SSOP24 / QFN24 |
Key features
- 16-channel constant current sink driver with dual latch
- dual 16-bit shift registers + latches for higher refresh rate
- 4-bit current gain 25%-100%
- Schmitt-trigger I/O
- adjustable pre-charge for ghosting reduction
- low-gray scale enhancement
- fast OE response 40ns
Typical use: high-refresh small-pitch indoor (dual-latch).
Specifications from the manufacturer datasheet (V1.6). Verify against the current datasheet for design-in.
NovaStar receiving cards & firmware that drive the ICND2038S
Important: each NovaStar receiving card ships several firmware versions, and each one supports a different group of pixel driver ICs paired with a group of row/scan decode chips — the version label selects the chip group, not a newer/older build. A panel is defined by both its driver IC and its decode/scan chip, so the firmware must list both. To drive the ICND2038S, flash the exact version listed for your card below; a higher-numbered version meant for a different chip group will not work.
⚠️ Don't upgrade unless you have a reason to. Receiving-card firmware is not like a controller update that adds features — a higher number just means a different driver-IC group. If your screen works, leave it alone; only re-flash to match a different driver IC.
A card name joined with “/” (e.g. DH7516-S / 7512-S / 7508-S) is a single NovaStar firmware family: those models share one firmware package, so the versions shown for that row are different firmware lines for the same card — not one firmware per model.
| Receiving card | Supported firmware |
|---|---|
| A5s Plus | |
| A5s Plus-N | |
| A7s Plus | |
| A8s Pro | |
| A8s-N | |
| DH3208 | |
| DH7512 | |
| DH7516 | |
| DH7516-S / 7512-S / 7508-S | |
| MRV208-N | |
| MRV412 | V4.9.0.0 |
| MRV412-N / MRV416-N | |
| MRV416 | |
| NV3210 / NV7508 / NV7512 / NV7516 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the ICND2038S LED driver IC?
The ICND2038S is an LED display driver chip made by Chipone. It is a PWM (constant-current, pulse-width-modulated) driver used on the LED module to control each pixel's grayscale.
Can a NovaStar receiving card drive the ICND2038S?
The ICND2038S is not in NovaStar's default driver-IC library, but many NovaStar receiving cards can still drive it depending on the card model and firmware. The reliable way to confirm is to upload your receiving-card config to our free RCFGX viewer, or call us at 321-747-3220.
How do I find out which driver IC my LED panel uses?
Open your receiving card configuration file (.rcfgx) — it records the driver IC type and firmware version. Our free online RCFGX viewer reads this for you without installing NovaLCT.