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NI PXI-6281

18-Bit, 500 kS/s (Multichannel), 625 kS/s (1-Channel)

  • 16 analog inputs; programmable 40 kHz lowpass filters
  • Two 16-bit analog outputs (2.8 MS/s); 24 digital I/O; two 32-bit, 80 MHz counters
  • Correlated DIO (8 clocked lines, 10 MHz); analog and digital triggering
  • NI-MCal calibration technology for increased measurement accuracy
  • NIST-traceable calibration certificate and more than 70 signal conditioning options
  • NI-DAQmx driver software and NI LabVIEW SignalExpress interactive data-logging software
  • Data Sheet  |   Configure System popup

View Diagram

Select one of the following options for product configuration and pricing:

Select Module and Accessories Below »   Configure and Price a Complete PXI System »
 
Module Accessories   Chassis, Controllers, Modules Software & Services
Step 1: Verify Device and Quantity Selection
Part
Number
Description Est Ship Days Glossary Definition US Dollars
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Qty
779121-01 NI PXI-6281 -- For price, select country  

Each NI PXI-6281 requires: 1 Cable, 1 Connector Block

NI PXI-6281 Cable Connector Block
Step 2: Select Cable
Part
Number
Description Est Ship Days Glossary Definition US Dollars
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Shielded
192061-02 SHC68-68-EPM Cable (2m)
NI Recommended
-- For price, select country  
192061-01 SHC68-68-EPM Cable (1m) -- For price, select country  
192061-0R5 SHC68-68-EPM Cable (0.5m) -- For price, select country  
192061-10 SHC68-68-EPM Cable (10m) -- For price, select country  
192288-0R3 SHC68-68M-EPM Cable (0.3m) -- For price, select country  
Unshielded
187252-01 RC68-68 Cable (1m) -- For price, select country  
187252-0R5 RC68-68 Cable (0.5m) -- For price, select country  
187252-0R25 RC68-68 Cable (0.25m) -- For price, select country  
Step 3: Select Connector Block
Part
Number
Description Est Ship Days Glossary Definition US Dollars
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Screw Terminals
776844-01 SCB-68 - Shielded
NI Recommended
-- For price, select country  
BNC Termination
779556-01 BNC-2090A - Shielded, Rack Mountable -- For price, select country  
777643-01 BNC-2110 - Shielded -- For price, select country  
777960-01 BNC-2120 - Shielded -- For price, select country  
779347-01 BNC-2111 - Shielded -- For price, select country  
Screw Terminals
779475-01 SCC-68 - Unshielded -- For price, select country  
777145-01 CB-68LP - Unshielded -- For price, select country  
777141-01 TBX-68 Unshielded, I/O Connector Block with DIN-Rail Mounting - Unshielded -- For price, select country  
777145-02 CB-68LPR - Unshielded -- For price, select country  
779183-01 TB-2706 -- For price, select country  
Step 4: Add to Cart or Get a Quote

Please select the country where you will use the product(s) so that we can provide you with accurate pricing, availability, and purchasing information

The National Instruments PXI-6281 is a high-accuracy multifunction M Series data acquisition (DAQ) module optimized for 18-bit analog input accuracy. This resolution is equivalent to 5½ digits for DC measurements. To ensure accuracy, the NI-PGIA 2 amplifier technology is optimized for high linearity and fast settling to 18 bits, and programmable lowpass filters reject high-frequency noise and prevent aliasing. High-accuracy M Series devices feature programmable offsets and references on the analog output channels to obtain maximum 16-bit resolution on any custom signal. High-accuracy M Series multifunction DAQ devices are ideal for applications including device test and characterization, and for sensor and signal measurements requiring instrument-class accuracy. To learn more about M Series technologies, device specifications, and information on recommended cables and accessories, please refer to the data sheet and specifications.

Driver Software
M Series devices work with multiple OSs using three driver software options – NI-DAQmx, NI-DAQmx Base, and the Measurement Hardware DDK. Browse the information in the Resources tab to learn more about driver software or download a driver. M Series devices are not compatible with the traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) driver.

Application Development Environments
With NI LabVIEW, you can create custom data acquisition applications with the ease of graphical programming and power of more than 500 analysis functions and advanced programming tools. LabVIEW Full and Professional Development Systems include LabVIEW SignalExpress for interactive data logging. M Series data acquisition devices are compatible with the following versions (or later) of NI application software – LabVIEW 7.x, LabWindows™/CVI 7.x, or Measurement Studio 7.x; LabVIEW SignalExpress 1.x; or LabVIEW with the LabVIEW Real-Time Module 7.1. M Series data acquisition devices are also compatible with Visual Studio .NET, C/C++, and Visual Basic 6.

Specifications Documents


Specifications Summary

General 
Form FactorPXI
OS SupportWindows, Real-Time, Linux, Mac OS
Measurement TypeQuadrature encoder
DAQ Product FamilyM Series
LabVIEW RT SupportYes
Analog Input 
Number of Channels16 SE/8 DI
Sample Rate625 kS/s
Resolution18 bits
Simultaneous SamplingNo
Maximum Voltage Range-10..10 V
      Range Accuracy980 µV
      Range Sensitivity24 µV
Minimum Voltage Range-100..100 mV
      Range Accuracy28 µV
      Range Sensitivity0.8 µV
Number of Ranges7
On-Board Memory4095 samples
Signal ConditioningLow-pass filtering
Analog Output 
Number of Channels2
Update Rate2.86 MS/s
Resolution16 bits
Maximum Voltage Range-10..10 V
      Range Accuracy1540 µV
Minimum Voltage Range-1..1 V
      Range Accuracy259 µV
Current Drive (Channel/Total)5 mA
Digital I/O 
Number of Channels24 DIO
TimingHardware, Software
Maximum Clock Rate10 MHz
Logic LevelsTTL
Maximum Input Range0..5 V
Maximum Output Range0..5 V
Input Current FlowSinking, Sourcing
Programmable Input FiltersYes
Output Current FlowSinking, Sourcing
Current Drive (Channel/Total)24 mA/448 mA
Watchdog TimerNo
Supports Programmable Power-Up States?Yes
Supports Handshaking I/O?No
Supports Pattern I/O?Yes
Counter/Timers 
Number of Counter/Timers2
Resolution32 bits
Maximum Source Frequency80 MHz
Minimum Input Pulse Width12.5 ns
Logic LevelsTTL
Maximum Range0..5 V
Timebase Stability50 ppm
GPS SynchronizationNo
Pulse GenerationYes
Buffered OperationsYes
Debouncing/Glitch RemovalYes
Number of DMA Channels2
Timing/Triggering/Synchronization 
Synchronization Bus (RTSI)Yes
TriggeringAnalog, Digital
Physical Specifications 
Length16 cm
Width10 cm
I/O Connector68-pin VHDCI female

System Assurance Programs

Reduce your setup time and total cost of ownership, and get a system you can use out of the box with National Instruments system assurance programs. System assurance programs include:

  • Installation and integration test of all individual hardware
  • Courtesy installation of system driver sets and application development environments
  • Three-year warranty and calibration coverage
  • Custom documentation plus a custom restore and startup utility

This service is only available for PXI, NI CompactRIO, and NI Compact FieldPoint systems.

Extended Warranties

National Instruments designs and manufactures all products to minimize failures, however unexpected failures can still occur. Extended warranties provide a fixed economical price at the time of system purchase, covering any repair costs for up to three years. In addition, they offer the following benefits:

  • Significant cost savings compared to individual repair incidents
  • Fault location, diagnostics, and repair by NI any time the system product fails
  • All parts and labor costs covered as well as any adjustments needed to restore the hardware to manufacturing specifications

For more information about your warranty options:

Calibration

NI recognizes the need to maintain properly calibrated devices for high-accuracy measurements. NI provides manual calibration procedures, services to recalibrate your products, and automated calibration software to calibrate many NI measurement products.

Training

NI training is the fastest, most certain route to productivity with NI tools and successful application development.

Repair Services

Return your registered product under warranty at no additional labor and parts cost. NI offers fault location, diagnostics, and repair any time the system fails as well as any adjustments needed to restore the hardware to manufacturing specifications.

Technical Support

ni.com/support

Select your application need to see compatible software options for the NI PXI-6281.

Application Need

Graphical Programming Text-Based Programming
Select any of the following software products
Part
Number
Description Est Ship Days Glossary Definition US Dollars
(change)
Qty
776670-09 NI LabVIEW Full Development System for Windows (English)
NI Recommended
-- For price, select country  
777756-09 NI LabVIEW Full Development System for Linux -- For price, select country  
776675-01 LabVIEW Application Builder for Windows (English)
NI Recommended
-- For price, select country  
777755-03 NI LabVIEW Application Builder for Linux -- For price, select country  
778406-03 NI LabVIEW Report Generation Toolkit for Microsoft Office -- For price, select country  
778807-09 DIAdem Advanced Edition (English) -- For price, select country  

Please select the country where you will use the product(s) so that we can provide you with accurate pricing, availability, and purchasing information

Select any of the following software products
Part
Number
Description Est Ship Days Glossary Definition US Dollars
(change)
Qty
776800-09 LabWindows/CVI Full Development System for Windows -- For price, select country  
778801-09 NI Measurement Studio Professional Edition for Microsoft Visual Studio -- For price, select country  
779384-03 NI LabWindows/CVI Run-Time Module for Linux -- For price, select country  
778807-09 DIAdem Advanced Edition (English) -- For price, select country  

Please select the country where you will use the product(s) so that we can provide you with accurate pricing, availability, and purchasing information

Other compatible software: ANSI C/C++, C#, Visual Basic .NET, Visual Basic 6.0
Graphical Programming Text-Based Programming
Select any of the following software products
Part
Number
Description Est Ship Days Glossary Definition US Dollars
(change)
Qty
776670-09 NI LabVIEW Full Development System for Windows (English)
NI Recommended
-- For price, select country  
779037-09 NI LabVIEW SignalExpress for Windows -- For price, select country  
777756-09 NI LabVIEW Full Development System for Linux -- For price, select country  
776675-01 LabVIEW Application Builder for Windows (English)
NI Recommended
-- For price, select country  
777755-03 NI LabVIEW Application Builder for Linux -- For price, select country  
778406-03 NI LabVIEW Report Generation Toolkit for Microsoft Office -- For price, select country  
778807-09 DIAdem Advanced Edition (English) -- For price, select country  

Please select the country where you will use the product(s) so that we can provide you with accurate pricing, availability, and purchasing information

Select any of the following software products
Part
Number
Description Est Ship Days Glossary Definition US Dollars
(change)
Qty
776800-09 LabWindows/CVI Full Development System for Windows -- For price, select country  
778801-09 NI Measurement Studio Professional Edition for Microsoft Visual Studio -- For price, select country  
779384-03 NI LabWindows/CVI Run-Time Module for Linux -- For price, select country  
778807-09 DIAdem Advanced Edition (English) -- For price, select country  

Please select the country where you will use the product(s) so that we can provide you with accurate pricing, availability, and purchasing information

Other compatible software: ANSI C/C++, C#, Visual Basic .NET, Visual Basic 6.0
Graphical Programming Text-Based Programming
Option 1: Select one of the following NI Developer Suite packages or Configure Your NI Developer Suite >>
Part
Number
Description Est Ship Days Glossary Definition US Dollars
(change)
Qty