PCI‑6250 | Product Introduction

The NI PCI‑6250 is a National Instruments (NI) M-series, high-speed and high-precision multi-channel DAQ card (without isolation), PCI bus, half-length card, featuring 16 channels of AI (16 bit/1.25 MS/s) + 0 channels of AO + 24 channels of DIO + 2 channels of counters. It is the basic high-speed acquisition model in the 625x series, suitable for high-precision measurement in laboratories, high-speed signal acquisition, environments without strong interference, multiple-channel sensors, transient signal recording, etc., which require high sampling rate + high resolution.

Part Number: 779352‑01; Out of Production (EOL), replacement model: PCIe‑6350.

I. Basic Information

Model: PCI‑6250

Brand: National Instruments (NI)

Series: M-Series (High-speed, High-precision, No Isolation)

Bus: PCI (3.3 V / 5 V compatible, Half-length Card)

Connector: 68-pin SCSI-II

Driver: NI-DAQmx

Operating Temperature: 0 ~ 55 °C

Size: 9.7 × 15.5 cm (Half-length)

Isolation: No Isolation (Non-isolated Type)

II. Analog Input AI (16 channels, High-speed)

Channels: 16 single-ended / 8 differential (Software configurable)

Resolution: 16 bits, No Bit Loss Guarantee

Maximum Sampling Rate: 1.25 MS/s (Single channel); 1 MS/s (Total of multiple channels)

Input Range (Software selectable): ±0.1 V, ±0.2 V, ±0.5 V, ±1 V, ±2 V, ±5 V, ±10 V

Coupling: DC

Input Impedance: >10 GΩ || 100 pF

Maximum Working Voltage: ±11 V

CMRR: 95 dB @ DC~60 Hz

Input FIFO: 8,191 Samples

III. Analog Output AO

Channels: 0 (No Analog Output)

IV. Digital I/O (DIO, 24 channels)

Channels: 24 bidirectional TTL (Non-isolated)

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

V. Counter / Timer

Channels: 2 32-bit General Counters

Clock: 80 MHz Internal Base

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).

Cabling (68-pin SCSI-II)

AI: Single-ended connect AIn + GND; differential connect AI+ / AI−, common-mode voltage ≤ ±11 V, no isolation, avoid ground loop.

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

Software configuration (NI-DAQmx)

Sampling mode: Synchronous high-speed scanning.

Range: Select ±0.1 ~ ±10 V according to signal amplitude (small range is suitable for weak signals with high precision).

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

No isolation, not suitable for industrial strong interference / high-voltage environments.

The analog input must not exceed ±11 V; otherwise, it will damage the front end.

VIII. Core Features

16 high-speed AI (1.25 MS/s/16 bit) + 24 DIO + 2 counters, no AO, no isolation

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

Small range (±0.1 V) + high resolution, high-precision acquisition of weak signals

Applicable: High-precision measurement in the laboratory, high-speed transient signals, multi-channel sensors, no strong interference environment