NI USB-6001
The NI USB-6001 is a bus-powered USB multifunction DAQ with eight single-ended or four differential ±10 V inputs at 14 bits and 20 kS/s aggregate, two 14-bit analog outputs, 13 digital lines and a 32-bit counter. NI lists it as the replacement for the older USB-6008, and it is sized for student labs and bench logging.
Specifications
| Analog inputs | 88 single-ended or 4 differential |
| Resolution | 14-bit |
| Max sample rate | 20 kS/saggregate across scanned channels (one multiplexed SAR ADC) |
| Input ranges | ±10 V |
| Input modes | single-ended, differential |
| Analog outputs | 2 × 14-bit |
| Digital I/O | 13 |
| Counters | 1 |
| Isolation | No |
| Interfaces | USB |
| List price | $361ni.com list price (782604-01 kit; OEM board 782605-01 is $353), Oct 2026 |
Vendor driver by OS
| Driver | NI-DAQmx (via DAQAtlas Bridge) |
| Windows | Yes |
| macOS | No |
| Linux | No |
Vendor software
| NI-DAQmx | WindowsFree. Driver plus NI MAX configuration utility and test panels; NI-DAQmx for Linux does not list this device |
| FlexLogger | WindowsLite edition free; professional paid. configuration-based logging for NI DAQ hardware |
| LabVIEW | WindowsPaid. Graphical programming with NI-DAQmx VIs; NI-DAQmx has no macOS version |
NI USB-6001 on a Mac, Windows or Linux
NI supports the USB-6001 through NI-DAQmx on Windows 11, Windows 10 LTSC and Windows Server 2022 and 2025. NI’s compatibility table marks it “Not Supported” on all desktop Linux distributions, even though NI-DAQmx itself installs on Ubuntu, RHEL and openSUSE. macOS has no NI-DAQmx at all. The last Mac driver, NI-DAQmx Base 15.0, stopped at macOS 10.14. A Mac user needs a Windows machine next to the device, either to run NI’s tools or to forward the data. DAQAtlas, which is in development, does that forwarding with DAQAtlas Bridge on the Windows machine, and the NI DAQ on a Mac guide covers the setup step by step.
On Windows, NI MAX installs with NI-DAQmx for configuration and test panels, FlexLogger Lite (free) handles logging without code, and the NI-DAQmx API covers LabVIEW, C and Python through the nidaqmx package.
What 20 kS/s and 14 bits get you
The 20 kS/s figure is aggregate because one successive-approximation ADC is multiplexed across the inputs, so four channels share it at 5 kS/s each. There is a single ±10 V range, so one 14-bit code is about 1.2 mV wide, and NI specifies absolute accuracy at full scale as 26 mV over temperature. Use differential mode for anything with ground noise or a remote ground. The single-ended vs differential guide covers the wiring. The two analog outputs are 14-bit, ±10 V and hardware-timed at up to 5 kS/s per channel. The 13 digital lines sit in ports of 8, 4 and 1 lines, and the counter counts edges on PFI 0 or PFI 1 at up to 5 MHz. NI’s list price at the time of writing is $361 for the enclosed kit and $353 for the OEM board.
Questions
Does the NI USB-6001 work on a Mac?
Not on its own. NI-DAQmx doesn’t run on macOS, so the USB-6001 has to connect to a Windows PC.
Is the USB-6001 supported by NI-DAQmx on Linux?
No. NI’s hardware and OS compatibility table lists the USB-6001 as not supported on desktop Linux, so Windows is required.
What replaced the USB-6008?
NI lists the USB-6001 as the recommended replacement for the USB-6008.
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