NI-9205
The NI-9205 is a 32-channel C Series voltage input module with a multiplexed 16-bit ADC at 250 kS/s aggregate and four per-channel ranges from ±200 mV to ±10 V. It goes into a CompactDAQ chassis or CompactRIO when you need many voltage channels from one slot.
Specifications
| Analog inputs | 3232 single-ended or 16 differential, multiplexed; needs a cDAQ chassis or cRIO |
| Resolution | 16-bit |
| Max sample rate | 250 kS/saggregate across scanned channels in cDAQ and cRIO (4 µs conversion) |
| Input ranges | ±200 mV, ±1 V, ±5 V, ±10 V |
| Input modes | single-ended, differential |
| Isolation | Yes |
| Interfaces | C Series |
| List price | $1,816ni.com list price (779357-01 D-SUB and 785184-01 spring terminal), Oct 2026 |
Vendor driver by OS
| Driver | NI-DAQmx (via DAQAtlas Bridge) |
| Windows | Yes |
| macOS | No |
| Linux | Yes |
Vendor software
| NI-DAQmx | Windows, LinuxFree. Driver with C and LabVIEW support on Linux; NI MAX, the configuration utility with test panels, is Windows only |
| FlexLogger | WindowsLite edition free; professional paid. configuration-based logging for NI DAQ hardware |
| LabVIEW | Windows, LinuxPaid. Graphical programming with NI-DAQmx VIs; NI-DAQmx has no macOS version |
High channel count, shared converter
The NI-9205 measures up to 32 single-ended or 16 differential inputs through a multiplexer, a programmable-gain instrumentation amplifier and one 16-bit ADC. The 250 kS/s maximum is aggregate, based on a 4 µs conversion time in a CompactDAQ or CompactRIO chassis, so 32 channels share it at about 7.8 kS/s each. Ranges are set per channel at ±10 V, ±5 V, ±1 V or ±200 mV, and single-ended measurements can be referenced (RSE) or non-referenced (NRSE) through the AISENSE terminal. Mixing very different ranges in one scan slows settling, so group channels by range where you can. The single-ended vs differential guide helps decide which mode to wire.
The module also has one digital input (PFI 0), usable as a trigger, and one digital output that works only in CompactRIO with the FPGA interface. Isolation is channel-to-earth with none between channels, 250 Vrms (Measurement Category II) on the spring-terminal versions and 60 VDC on the D-SUB versions, per NI’s product listing. The D-SUB (779357-01) and spring-terminal (785184-01) versions list at $1,816 at the time of writing, and a conformal-coated D-SUB version costs more.
NI-9205 operating system support
The module needs a CompactDAQ chassis such as the cDAQ-9174 or cDAQ-9178, or a CompactRIO. In a USB cDAQ chassis, NI-DAQmx supports it on Windows and on desktop Linux (RHEL 9 and 10, openSUSE Leap 15.6 and 16, Ubuntu 22.04 and 24.04). NI-DAQmx has no macOS version, and NI-DAQmx Base ended at version 15.0 with macOS 10.14. DAQAtlas, which is in development, reaches the NI-9205 through DAQAtlas Bridge, which can run on the same Windows or Linux PC as the chassis.
Questions
Is the NI-9205 sample rate per channel?
No. 250 kS/s is the aggregate rate shared by every channel in the scan, because the module multiplexes one ADC.
Does the NI-9205 need a chassis?
Yes. It works in a CompactDAQ chassis or a CompactRIO controller.
Does the NI-9205 work on Linux?
Yes, NI-DAQmx for Linux supports it in a USB cDAQ chassis on the RHEL, openSUSE Leap and Ubuntu LTS releases NI lists.
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