NI USB-6211
The NI USB-6211 is a bus-powered M Series USB DAQ with 16 single-ended or 8 differential inputs at 16 bits and 250 kS/s, four input ranges down to ±0.2 V, two 250 kS/s analog outputs, 4 digital inputs, 4 digital outputs and two 32-bit counters. NI no longer sells it new and recommends the USB-6421 mioDAQ as its replacement.
Specifications
| Analog inputs | 1616 single-ended or 8 differential; no longer sold new (NI recommends USB-6421) |
| Resolution | 16-bit |
| Max sample rate | 250 kS/ssingle-channel and aggregate maximum; multiplexed |
| Input ranges | ±0.2 V, ±1 V, ±5 V, ±10 V |
| Input modes | single-ended, differential |
| Analog outputs | 2 × 16-bit |
| Digital I/O | 8 |
| Counters | 2 |
| Isolation | No |
| Interfaces | USB |
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 |
USB-6211 availability
All three USB-6211 part numbers (779676-01, 780104-01 and the OEM board 196203-03) are listed by NI as Standard Support: available for repair and calibration, no longer available for purchase. NI points buyers to the USB-6421, a USB-C bus-powered mioDAQ device with 16 AI at 16 bits and 250 kS/s.
Running the USB-6211 on Windows, Linux and macOS
NI-DAQmx supports the USB-6211 on Windows 11, Windows 10 LTSC and Windows Server 2022 and 2025. NI’s current compatibility table marks it “Not Supported” on desktop Linux. One of its part numbers, 780104-01, was sold as the USB-6211 “for Linux and Mac,” but NI-DAQmx Base, the driver that used to cover the Mac, ended at version 15.0 with macOS 10.14, so that label doesn’t help on a current Mac. DAQAtlas, which is in development, reaches the USB-6211 through DAQAtlas Bridge on a Windows PC and uses the device’s hardware pacer for its scans.
M Series inputs, outputs and timing
The USB-6211 multiplexes 16 inputs into one 16-bit ADC behind a programmable-gain amplifier. NI quotes 250 kS/s both for a single channel and as the aggregate, so a 10-channel scan gives 25 kS/s per channel. Scans are hardware-paced, and hardware-timed vs software-timed sampling explains how that differs from polling. The ranges are ±0.2 V, ±1 V, ±5 V and ±10 V. When neighboring channels in a scan sit on very different ranges or come from high-impedance sources, settling shows up as crosstalk. Ordering channels by range and keeping source impedance low helps. NI warns that on a USB full-speed port the device can’t reach its maximum rates, so connect it to a Hi-Speed port. The two 16-bit outputs update at 250 kS/s on a ±10 V range. Digital I/O is fixed direction, with four inputs on PFI 0 to 3 and four outputs on PFI 4 to 7, plus two 32-bit counters.
Questions
Is the NI USB-6211 discontinued?
Yes for new purchases. NI lists every USB-6211 part number as no longer available for purchase and recommends the USB-6421.
Does the USB-6211 work on a Mac?
Not with current NI software, since NI-DAQmx has no macOS version and NI-DAQmx Base stopped at macOS 10.14.
Is the USB-6211 supported on Linux?
NI’s compatibility table lists it as not supported by NI-DAQmx on desktop Linux.
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