Product Overview
The National Instruments PCI-6225 is a multifunction data acquisition card in the NI M Series family. It is designed for PCI based measurement and control systems that require a large number of analog input channels. The card combines 80 analog inputs, two analog outputs, 24 digital input and output lines, and two counters on a single PCI board.
The PCI-6225 is suitable for applications such as automated test, data logging, sensor monitoring, and laboratory measurement. Its high channel count makes it useful when many signals must be sampled in one system without adding multiple separate DAQ devices. The PCI interface provides a direct connection to a desktop computer and supports deterministic data transfer for many test and measurement tasks.
Analog Input Capabilities
The PCI-6225 provides 80 single ended analog input channels with 16 bit resolution. The maximum sampling rate is 250 kS/s for a single channel, with the aggregate rate shared across multiple channels. Input ranges include low voltage and standard industrial ranges, allowing the card to measure signals from millivolt level sensors up to plus or minus 10 V sources.
The analog input system supports software timed and hardware timed acquisition. Triggering and clocking features help synchronize measurements with external events or other devices. The card is well suited to scanning many channels in sequence, such as temperature sensors, pressure transducers, strain gauges with external conditioning, and voltage monitoring points.
Analog Output, Digital I/O, and Counters
The PCI-6225 includes two 16 bit analog output channels. These outputs can generate control voltages, setpoints, and test stimuli. The card also provides 24 digital input and output lines for logic control, relay driving, and status monitoring. Two 32 bit counters are available for event counting, frequency measurement, pulse generation, and position sensing.
The combination of analog input, analog output, digital I/O, and counters allows the PCI-6225 to handle mixed signal test tasks. For example, a system can monitor many analog sensors while generating a control voltage and counting encoder pulses. This integration reduces the number of separate cards needed in a PCI chassis.
Software and Integration
The PCI-6225 is supported by NI-DAQmx driver software. It can be programmed with LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, Measurement Studio, and other development environments that support NI-DAQmx. NI-DAQmx provides configuration tools for channels, timing, triggering, and scaling, which helps reduce development time for data acquisition applications.
The card can be used with NI signal conditioning and accessory products to connect sensors and signals safely. It also supports synchronization with other DAQ devices and modular instruments through available timing and trigger lines. This makes the PCI-6225 suitable for both standalone data acquisition systems and larger automated test architectures.
Typical Applications
High channel count analog data acquisition
Automated test systems with mixed analog and digital signals
Laboratory monitoring of sensors and transducers
Control applications requiring analog output and digital I/O
Event counting and frequency measurement
Educational and research measurement systems
The PCI-6225 is a flexible M Series DAQ card for PCI systems. Its 80 analog inputs, 16 bit resolution, 250 kS/s sampling, analog outputs, digital I/O, and counters make it a practical choice for high channel count measurement and control applications.
