PCI‑6230 | Product Introduction

The NI PCI‑6230 is a multi-functional DAQ card in the M series of National Instruments (NI), with group isolation. It is a PCI bus, half-length card. It features 8 channels of AI (16 bit/250 kS/s, group isolation) + 4 channels of AO + 6 channels of DI + 4 channels of DO + 2 channels of counters. It is the basic isolated model in the 623x series, suitable for industrial environments, high voltage / strong interference, ground loop suppression, small closed-loop control, isolation monitoring, etc., which require basic isolation and reliable I/O.

Part Number: 779350‑01; Out of Production (EOL), replacement model: PCIe‑6330.

I. Basic Information

Model: PCI‑6230

Brand: National Instruments (NI)

Series: M-Series (Group Isolation, Basic I/O)

Bus: PCI (3.3 V / 5 V compatible, half-length card)

Connector: 37-pin D-SUB

Driver: NI-DAQmx

Operating Temperature: 0 ~ 55 °C

Size: 9.7 × 15.5 cm (half-length)

Isolation: Group Isolation 60 VDC Continuous, Channel-Bus 1950 VDC

II. Analog Input AI (8 channels)

Channels: 8 single-ended / 4 differential (software configurable) NI

Resolution: 16 bits, no bit loss guarantee NI

Maximum Sampling Rate: 250 kS/s (single / total channels) NI

Input Range (software selectable): ±0.2 V, ±1 V, ±5 V, ±10 V NI

Coupling: DC NI

Input Impedance: >10 GΩ || 100 pF

Maximum Working Voltage: ±11 V (signal + common mode)

CMRR: 95 dB @ DC~60 Hz

Input FIFO: 4,095 samples

III. Analog Output AO (4 channels)

Channels: 4 voltage outputs

Resolution: 16 bits

Maximum Update Rate: 500 kS/s (per channel)

Output Range (software selectable): ±5 V, ±10 V

Drive Capacity: ±5 mA (per channel)

Setup Time: 10 µs (to ±0.5 LSB)

Load: Minimum 1 kΩ

IV. Digital I/O (DIO)

Channels: 6 DI + 4 DO (TTL, group isolation)

Level: 5 V TTL/CMOS (compatible with 3.3 V)

Maximum Rate: 10 MHz

DO Drive: Maximum 10 mA / channel

Function: Bidirectional input/output, event triggering, handshake signal, isolation anti-interference

V. Counter / Timer

Channels: 2 32-bit general-purpose counters

Clock: 80 MHz internal base NI

Function: Event counting, frequency / period measurement, pulse output, encoder, PWM

VI. Trigger and Synchronization

Trigger: AI Analog Trigger, PFI External Digital Trigger

Synchronization: RTSI Bus Multi-Card Synchronization

Data Transmission: DMA, Interrupt, Programmable I/O

VII. Installation and Usage Tips (Core of the Manual) Installation

Power off and disconnect the power supply. Insert into the standard PCI slot and secure the cover screws.

After powering on, the device will be identified and self-tested in MAX (Measurement & Automation Explorer).

Wiring (37-pin D-SUB)

AI: Single-ended connect to AIn + GND; differential connect to AI+ / AI−, common-mode voltage ≤ ±11 V, use group isolation to suppress ground loops.

AO: AO output + AGND, load ≥ 1 kΩ,严禁 short circuit.

DIO： TTL level， isolated side common ground， avoid long-distance parallel lines； PFI can be configured as trigger / clock.

Software configuration (NI-DAQmx)

Sampling mode： Asynchronous scan (non-synchronous).

Range： Select ±0.2 / ±1 / ±5 / ±10 V according to signal amplitude.

Trigger： Commonly used edge trigger (rising / falling). Notes for Attention

Group isolation is provided, suitable for industrial environments with strong interference, but not channel-to-channel isolation.

The analog input must not exceed ±11 V, and the analog output must not be short-circuited; otherwise, the front-end will be damaged.

VIII. Core Features

8 AI + 4 AO + 6 DI + 4 DO + 2 counters, with 60 VDC group isolation

PCI half-length card, plug-and-play, NI-DAQmx driver stability

Isolation for anti-interference, suppression of grounding loops, suitable for industrial sites

Applications: Industrial monitoring, small closed-loop control, high-voltage isolation measurement, strong interference environment acquisition