USB Data Acquisition Product Selection Guide
PrintOverview
To select the correct USB data acquisition (DAQ) device for your measurement application, follow these simple steps:
- Select the family that best fits your general application needs.
- Use the selection table for that family to choose the correct product.
- Click on the product name for datasheets and pricing.
Data Acquisition Specifications -- A Glossary of DAQ terminology
Table of Contents
USB Data Acquisition Families
 | ||||||
Analog Input | Analog input channels | Up to 16 SE/8 DI | 4 DI | -- | 8 SE/4 DI | Configurable by module |
| Analog input resolution | Up to 16 bits | Up to 24 bits | Up to 14 bits | Up to 16 bits | ||
| Max analog sampling rate | Up to 800 kS/s | Up to 20 kS/s | Up to 48 kS/s | Up to 200kS/s | ||
| Max analog voltage range | Up to ± 60 V | ± 10 V | ± 20 V | Up to ± 300V | ||
| Simultaneous sampling | -- | » | -- | Available by SCXI | ||
| Built-in signal conditioning | -- | » | -- | = | ||
| Isolation -- analog | -- | » | -- | Available by SCXI | ||
Analog Output | Analog output channels | Up to 2 | 0 | -- | 2 | Configurable by module |
| Analog output resolution | Up to 16 bits | -- | 12 bits | 12 bits | ||
| Analog output update rate | Up to 300 S/s | -- | Up to 150 S/s | Up to 555S/s | ||
Digital, Counters, Triggering | Digital I/O lines | Up to 32 | 0 | 96 | 12 | Configurable by module |
| CTR/timers | Up to 2, 24-bit | 0 | 32 bit event counter | 1, 32-bit simple event counter | External Connection | |
| Triggering | » | -- | -- | Digital | External Connection | |
Connectivity | Shielded, metal enclosure | = | = | » | -- | = |
| Signal Conditioning Connectivity | » | -- | -- | -- | SCXI | |
| Screw terminal, BNC, and Dsub connector options | » | » | » | -- | BNC for external connections | |
| Removable screw-terminal connectors | » | = | = | = | Connections vary by SCXI module | |
| Breadboard area for custom front-end circuitry | » | -- | -- | Sold Separately | ||
| USB cable strain relief | Sold Separately | = | » | = | ||
Physical & Power | Mounting holes | -- | = | » | -- | Mounts in SCXI Chassis |
| Power | External power | Bus power | Bus power | Bus power | SCXI Chassis power | |
Calibration | Self-calibration | = | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Calibration certificate | = | = | -- | -- | = | |
Software | Software interface | |||||
| Compatible Application Development Environments | LabVIEW, C, Visual Studio.NET | LabVIEW, C, Visual Studio.NET | LabVIEW, C, Visual Studio.NET | LabVIEW, C, Visual Studio.NET | LabVIEW, C, Visual Studio.NET | |
| Included Ready-to-Run Data Logger Software | -- |
˜ On all devices
» On some devices
-- On no devices
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USB High Performance Multifunction DAQ
| NI DAQPad-6015/6016 | ||||
Analog Input | Analog input channels | 16 SE/8 DI | 16 SE/8 DI | 8 SE | 4 DI |
| Analog input resolution | 16 bits | 12 bits | 12 | 16 | |
| Max analog sampling rate | 200 kS/s | 100 kS/s | 500 kS/s or 800 kS/s | 20kS/s/ch or 100kS/s/ch | |
| Max analog voltage range | ± 0.05 to ± 10 V | ± 0.05 to ± 10 V | ± 10 V or ± 60 V | ± 10 V | |
Analog Output | Analog output channels | 2 | 2 | -- | -- |
| Analog output resolution | 16 bits | 12 bits | |||
| Analog output range | ± 10 V | ± 10 V | |||
| Analog output update rate | 300 S/s | 20 S/s | |||
Digital, Counters, Triggering | Digital I/O lines | 8 or 32 | 8 | -- | -- |
| CTR/timers | 2, 24-bit | 2, 24-bit | |||
| Triggering | Digital | Digital | |||
Connectivity | Shielded, metal enclosure | Yes | 15cm or 30cm | Yes | Yes |
| Signal Connectivity | Screw terminals, BNC, or mass termination*** | Mass termination or BNC | Screw terminal, D-Sub | Screw Terminal, BNC(9215A only) | |
| Breadboard area for custom front-end circuitry | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Signal Conditioning Connectivity | Only on 6015 with mass termination 6015 | Yes | Built in Channel-to-Earth isolation | Built in Channel-to-Earth isolation | |
| USB cable strain relief | Sold separately | Sold separately | Sold separately | Sold separately | |
Physical & Power | Mounting holes | -- | -- | Yes | Yes |
| Optional Configuration | 6016 OEM kit available | -- | |||
| Power | External power | External power | Bus power | Bus | |
Calibration | Self-calibration | Yes | Yes | -- | -- |
| Calibration certificate | Yes | Yes | -- | -- | |
Software | Software interface | NI-DAQmx (9215A only),NI-DAQmx Base | |||
| Compatible Application Development Environments | LabVIEW, C, Visual Studio.NET | LabVIEW, C, Visual Studio.NET | LabVIEW, C, Visual Studio.NET | LabVIEW, C,Visual Studio.NET (9215A only) | |
| Included Ready-to-Run Data Logger Software | -- | NI VI Logger Lite (9215A only) | |||
| Operating System | Windows | Windows | Windows | Windows, Mac OSX*, Linux* |
*Mac OSX and Linux support using NI-DAQmx Base driver only
**Visual Studio.NET support with NI-DAQmx driver only
***NI DAQPad-6016 only available with screw terminal connectivity
USB DAQ with Signal Conditioning
Analog Input | Analog input channels | 4 DI | 8 SE | 4DI |
| Analog input resolution | 24 bits | 12 bits | 24 bits | |
| Max analog sampling rate | 12 S/s | 800 kS/s | 50 kS/s | |
| Max analog voltage range | ± 80 mV | ± 60 V | ± 5 V | |
| Simultaneous sampling | -- | -- | Yes | |
| Built-in signal conditioning | CJC for thermocouple measurements | -- | AC Coupling and IEPE | |
| Isolation -- analog | Channel-to-Earth | Channel-to-Earth | None | |
Connectivity | Shielded, metal enclosure | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Signal Connectivity | Screw Terminals | Screw Terminals, D-Sub | BNC | |
| Removable screw-terminal connectors | Yes | Yes | No | |
| Breadboard area for custom front-end circuitry | No | No | No | |
| USB cable strain relief | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Physical & Power | Mounting holes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Power | Bus Power | Bus power | Bus Power | |
Calibration | Self-calibration | -- | -- | -- |
| Calibration certificate | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Software | Software interface | |||
| Compatible Application Development Environments | LabVIEW, C, Visual Studio.NET** | LabVIEW, C, Visual Studio.NET | LabVIEW, C, Visual Studio.NET** | |
| Included Ready-to-Run Data Logger Software | NI VI Logger Lite (9211A only) | NI VI Logger Lite | Available with Sound & Vibration Toolkit at bundle price | |
| Operating System | Windows, Linux(9211 only), MAC OSX(9211 only)* | Windows | Windows |
*Mac OSX and Linux support using NI-DAQmx Base driver only
**Visual Studio.NET support with NI-DAQmx driver only
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USB DIO
Digital, Counters, Triggering | Digital I/O lines | 24 | 96 | 8 input lines 11 to 30 V | 8 output lines 6 to 30 V 0.75 A/ch | 4 Relay output lines 2 A (30 VDC) 1 A (60 VDC) |
| Digital Output driver type | open-drain, 5V | | sink | source | electromechanical relay | |
| CTR/timers | 1, 32-bit simple event counter | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Features | -- | User-defined power up states, 2-wire handshaking | Bank Isolation | Bank Isolation | Bank Isolation | |
Connectivity | Connectivity | Removable screw-terminals | Built in screw-terminals | Screw terminal, D-Sub | Screw terminal, D-Sub | Screw Terminal |
| USB cable strain relief | Sold separately | Sold separately | Sold separately | Sold separately | Sold separately | |
Physical & Power | Optional Configurations | OEM available with mass termination board | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Power | Bus power | Bus power | Bus Power | Bus Power/ (External power for up to 30V sourcing) | Bus Power | |
Software | Software interface | |||||
| Compatible Application Development Environments | LabVIEW, C, Visual Studio.NET** | LabVIEW, C, Visual Studio.NET | LabVIEW, C, Visual Studio.NET | LabVIEW, C, Visual Studio.NET | LabVIEW, C, Visual Studio.NET | |
| Included Ready-to-Run Data Logger Software | None | None | ||||
| Operating System | Windows, Mac OSX*, Linux* | Windows | Windows | Windows | Windows |
*Mac OSX and Linux support using NI-DAQmx Base driver only
**Visual Studio.NET support with NI-DAQmx driver only
USB Low Cost Multifunction DAQ
Analog Input | Analog input channels | 8 SE/4 DI | 8 SE/4 DI |
| Analog input resolution | 12 bits | 14 bits | |
| Max analog sampling rate | 10kS/s | 48 kS/s | |
| Max analog voltage range | ± 1 to ± 20 V | ± 1 to ± 20 V | |
Analog Output | Analog output channels | 2 | 2 |
| Analog output resolution | 12 bits | 12 bits | |
| Analog output range | 0-5 V | 0-5 V | |
| Analog output update rate | 150 S/s | 150 S/s | |
Digital, Counters, Triggering | Digital I/O lines | 12 | 12 |
| Digital Output driver type | Open-drain | Each channel selectable (open-drain/push-pull) | |
| CTR/timers | 1, 32-bit simple event counter | 1, 32-bit simple event counter | |
| Triggering | Digital | Digital | |
Connectivity | Removable screw-terminal connectors | Yes | Yes |
| USB cable strain relief | Yes | Yes | |
Physical & Power | Optional Configurations | ||
| Power | Bus Power | Bus power | |
Software | Software interface | ||
| Compatible Application Development Environments | LabVIEW, C, Visual Studio.NET** | LabVIEW, C, Visual Studio.NET** | |
| Included Ready-to-Run Data Logger Software | |||
| Operating System | Windows, Mac OSX*, Linux* | Windows, Mac OSX*, Linux* |
*Mac OSX and Linux support using NI-DAQmx Base driver only
**Visual Studio.NET support with NI-DAQmx driver only
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Reader Comments | Submit a comment »
What is the maximum input frequency for the
counter?
- Dec 13, 2005
error in footnote of first table
In Apple Safari 2.0, Mozilla Firefox 1.0.3 for Mac and
Microsoft Explorer 5.2.3 for Mac, the footnote for the first
table incorrectly indicates that a tilde (instead of a black dot)
denotes "on all devices".
- Jul 4, 2005
A helpful comparison would be to indicate
which devices you are stuck with MS Windows
and which have Linux drivers available! Thank
you, -Jay-
- Jun 3, 2005
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