MCC USB-1208FS-Plus
The USB-1208FS-Plus is MCC’s entry-level multifunction USB DAQ: 8 single-ended or 4 differential 12-bit inputs at up to 50 kS/s, two 12-bit analog outputs, 16 digital lines and a 32-bit counter. Teaching labs and test benches use it for voltage logging and basic control on a small budget.
Specifications
| Analog inputs | 88 single-ended or 4 differential |
| Resolution | 12-bit12-bit in differential mode, 11-bit single-ended |
| Max sample rate | 50 kS/shardware-paced, aggregate across the scan list |
| Input ranges | SE: ±10 V; DIFF: ±20 V, ±10 V, ±5 V, ±4 V, ±2.5 V, ±2 V, ±1.25 V, ±1 V |
| Input modes | single-ended, differential |
| Analog outputs | 2 × 12-bit |
| Digital I/O | 16 |
| Counters | 1 |
| Isolation | No |
| Interfaces | USB |
| List price | $204digilent.com, Oct 2026 |
Vendor driver by OS
| Driver | uldaq |
| Windows | Yes |
| macOS | Yes |
| Linux | Yes |
Vendor software
| InstaCal | WindowsIncluded. Device detection, configuration, test and calibration |
| DAQami | WindowsFree. Data logging, visualization and signal generation; CSV export |
Running the USB-1208FS-Plus on Windows, Linux and Mac
On Windows, MCC’s InstaCal utility detects and configures the device, the Universal Library handles programming, and DAQami, MCC’s free logging app, records and plots data. All three are Windows only. On Linux and macOS, MCC’s open-source uldaq library supports the USB-1208FS-Plus, and its Python bindings install from PyPI, so a Mac gets a programming path but no MCC logging app. DAQami for Mac lays out the options for Mac users. The datasheet also lists Android support for the -Plus models.
Input modes, resolution and ranges
Resolution depends on the input mode. Differential mode gives 12 bits and eight ranges from ±20 V down to ±1 V. Single-ended mode has one ±10 V range and delivers 11 bits, coarser than the headline number. For a small signal, or one referenced to something other than the device ground, wire it differentially and pick the range closest to its amplitude. Single-ended vs differential inputs covers the wiring.
The 50 kS/s figure is the total for the device, so a four-channel scan gives each channel 12.5 kS/s. The two analog outputs are 12-bit, 0 to 5 V, and update at up to 50 kS/s per channel, hardware-paced. The 16 digital lines sit on two 8-bit ports, and the counter accepts inputs up to 1 MHz. List price at the time of writing is $204 from Digilent.
DAQAtlas, which is in development, runs the USB-1208FS-Plus through uldaq (bundled in its macOS build) and also ships it as a simulated device, so you can lay out a dashboard before the hardware arrives.
Questions
Does the USB-1208FS-Plus work on a Mac?
Yes, through MCC’s open-source uldaq library, which supports the USB-1208FS-Plus on macOS and Linux. MCC’s own apps, InstaCal and DAQami, run only on Windows.
Is the USB-1208FS-Plus 12-bit on every input?
Only in differential mode. Single-ended inputs use a fixed ±10 V range at 11-bit resolution.
What is the per-channel sample rate of the USB-1208FS-Plus?
50 kS/s is the aggregate rate, so the per-channel rate is 50 kS/s divided by the number of channels in the scan.
Specifications and prices are taken from the vendor’s published pages at the time of writing and can change. Check the vendor before you buy. Sources: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7