National Instruments NI USB-6008, NI USB-6009 User Manual

USER GUIDE AND SPECIFICATIONS

NI USB-6008/6009

This user guide describes how to use the National Instruments
USB-6008/6009 data acquisition (DAQ) devices and lists specifications.

Introduction

The NI USB-6008/6009 provides connection to eight analog input (AI)
channels, two analog output (AO) channels, 12 digital input/output (DIO)
channels, and a 32-bit counter with a Full-Speed USB interface.

Note This manual revision updates naming conventions to reflect the conventions used in

NI-DAQmx. Table 1 notes the correlation between the old and updated names.

Table 1. Digital Output Driver Type Naming Conventions

Hardware Functionality NI-DAQmx Terminology

Open-drain Open collector

Push-pull Active drive

Table 2. Differences Between the NI USB-6008 and NI USB-6009

Feature NI USB-6008 NI USB-6009

AI Resolution 12 bits differential,

11 bits single-ended

Maximum AI Sample Rate,
Single Channel

*

Maximum AI Sample Rate,
Multiple Channels (Aggregate)

*

10 kS/s 48 kS/s

10 kS/s 48 kS/s

14 bits differential,

13 bits single-ended

DIO Configuration Open collector Open collector or active drive

*

System dependent.

1

1 Analog 16

NI USB-6009

8 Inputs, 14-bit, Multifunction I/O

32 Digital 17

1 USB Cable Strain Relief

Figure 1. NI USB-6008/6009 Top View

Figure 2. NI USB-6008/6009 Back View

NI USB-6008/6009 User Guide and Specifications 2 ni.com

Dimensions

Figure 3 illustrates the dimensions of the NI USB-6008/6009 device.

Safety Guidelines

81.81 mm
(3.221 in.)

85.09 mm

NATIONAL
INSTRUMENTS

63.50 mm
(2.500 in.)

72.65 mm

(2.860 in.)

Figure 3. NI USB-6008/6009 in Millimeters (Inches)

(3.350 in.)

76.09 mm
(2.996 in.)

23.19 mm
(0.913 in.)

Caution Operate the NI USB-6008/6009 only as described in these operating instructions.

The following section contains important safety information that you must
follow when installing and using the NI USB-6008/6009.

Do not operate the NI USB-6008/6009 in a manner not specified in this
document. Misuse of the device can result in a hazard. You can compromise
the safety protection built into the device if the device is damaged in any
way. If the device is damaged, contact National Instruments for repair.

Do not substitute parts or modify the device except as described in this
document. Use the device only with the chassis, modules, accessories, and
cables specified in the installation instructions. You must have all covers
and filler panels installed during operation of the device.

© National Instruments Corporation 3 NI USB-6008/6009 User Guide and Specifications

Do not operate the device in an explosive atmosphere or where there may
be flammable gases or fumes. If you must operate the device in such an
environment, it must be in a suitably rated enclosure.

If you need to clean the device, use a dry cloth. Make sure that the device
is completely dry and free from contaminants before returning it to service.

Operate the device only at or below Pollution Degree 2. Pollution is foreign
matter in a solid, liquid, or gaseous state that can reduce dielectric strength
or surface resistivity. The following is a description of pollution degrees:

• Pollution Degree 1 means no pollution or only dry, nonconductive
pollution occurs. The pollution has no influence.

• Pollution Degree 2 means that only nonconductive pollution occurs in
most cases. Occasionally, however, a temporary conductivity caused
by condensation must be expected.

• Pollution Degree 3 means that conductive pollution occurs, or dry,
nonconductive pollution occurs that becomes conductive due to
condensation.

You must insulate signal connections for the maximum voltage for which
the device is rated. Do not exceed the maximum ratings for the device. Do
not install wiring while the device is live with electrical signals. Do not
remove or add connector blocks when power is connected to the system.
Avoid contact between your body and the connector block signal when hot
swapping modules. Remove power from signal lines before connecting
them to or disconnecting them from the device.

Operate the device at or below the Measurement Category I
circuits are subjected to working voltages

2

and transient stresses

1

. Measurement

(overvoltage) from the circuit to which they are connected during
measurement or test. Measurement categories establish standard impulse
withstand voltage levels that commonly occur in electrical distribution
systems. The following is a description of measurement categories:

• Measurement Category I is for measurements performed on circuits
not directly connected to the electrical distribution system referred to
as MAINS

3

voltage. This category is for measurements of voltages
from specially protected secondary circuits. Such voltage
measurements include signal levels, special equipment, limited-energy
parts of equipment, circuits powered by regulated low-voltage sources,
and electronics.

1

Measurement Category as defined in electrical safety standard IEC 61010-1. Measurement Category is also referred to as
Installation Category.

2

Working Voltage is the highest rms value of an AC or DC voltage that can occur across any particular insulation.

3

MAINS is defined as a hazardous live electrical supply system that powers equipment. Suitably rated measuring circuits may
be connected to the MAINS for measuring purposes.

NI USB-6008/6009 User Guide and Specifications 4 ni.com

• Measurement Category II is for measurements performed on circuits
directly connected to the electrical distribution system. This category
refers to local-level electrical distribution, such as that provided by a
standard wall outlet (for example, 115 V for U.S. or 230 V for Europe).
Examples of Measurement Category II are measurements performed
on household appliances, portable tools, and similar E Series devices.

• Measurement Category III is for measurements performed in the
building installation at the distribution level. This category refers to
measurements on hard-wired equipment such as equipment in fixed
installations, distribution boards, and circuit breakers. Other examples
are wiring, including cables, bus-bars, junction boxes, switches,
socket-outlets in the fixed installation, and stationary motors with
permanent connections to fixed installations.

• Measurement Category IV is for measurements performed at the
primary electrical supply installation (<1,000 V). Examples include
electricity meters and measurements on primary overcurrent
protection devices and on ripple control units.

Related Documentation

Each application software package and driver includes information about
writing applications for taking measurements and controlling measurement
devices. The following references to documents assume you have
NI-DAQmx 8.7 or later, and where applicable, version 7.1 or later of the
NI application software.

NI-DAQmx for Windows

The DAQ Getting Started Guide describes how to install your NI-DAQmx
for Windows software, how to install your NI-DAQmx-supported DAQ
device, and how to confirm that your device is operating properly. Select

Start»All Programs»National Instruments»NI-DAQ»DAQ Getting
Started Guide.

The NI-DAQ Readme lists which devices are supported by this version of
NI-DAQ. Select Start»All Programs»National Instruments»NI-DAQ»
NI-DAQ Readme.

The NI-DAQmx Help contains general information about measurement
concepts, key NI-DAQmx concepts, and common applications that are
applicable to all programming environments. Select Start»All Programs»
National Instruments»NI-DAQ»NI-DAQmx Help.

Note For information about non-Windows operating system support, refer to ni.com/

info

and enter BaseGSGML.

© National Instruments Corporation 5 NI USB-6008/6009 User Guide and Specifications

LabVIEW

If you are a new user, use the Getting Started with LabVIEW manual
to familiarize yourself with the LabVIEW graphical programming
environment and the basic LabVIEW features you use to build data
acquisition and instrument control applications. Open the Getting Started

with LabVIEW manual by selecting Start»All Programs»National
Instruments»LabVIEW»LabVIEW Manuals or by navigating to the

labview\manuals directory and opening LV_Getting_Started.pdf.

Use the LabVIEW Help, available by selecting Help»Search the
LabVIEW Help in LabVIEW, to access information about LabVIEW

programming concepts, step-by-step instructions for using LabVIEW, and
reference information about LabVIEW VIs, functions, palettes, menus, and
tools. Refer to the following locations on the Contents tab of the LabVIEW
Help for information about NI-DAQmx:

• Getting Started»Getting Started with DAQ—Includes overview

information and a tutorial to learn how to take an NI-DAQmx
measurement in LabVIEW using the DAQ Assistant.

• VI and Function Reference»Measurement I/O VIs and
Functions—Describes the LabVIEW NI-DAQmx VIs and properties.

• Taking Measurements—Contains the conceptual and how-to
information you need to acquire and analyze measurement data in
LabVIEW, including common measurements, measurement
fundamentals, NI-DAQmx key concepts, and device considerations.

LabWindows/CVI

The Data Acquisition book of the LabWindows/CVI Help contains
measurement concepts for NI-DAQmx. This book also contains
Taking an NI-DAQmx Measurement in LabWindows/CVI, which includes
step-by-step instructions about creating a measurement task using the DAQ
Assistant. In LabWindows
Using LabWindows/CVI»Data Acquisition.

The NI-DAQmx Library book of the LabWindows/CVI Help contains
API overviews and function reference for NI-DAQmx. Select Library
Reference»NI-DAQmx Library in the LabWindows/CVI Help.

™

/CVI™, select Help»Contents, then select

Measurement Studio

If you program your NI-DAQmx-supported device in Measurement Studio
using Visual C++, Visual C#, or Visual Basic .NET, you can interactively
create channels and tasks by launching the DAQ Assistant from MAX or
from within Visual Studio .NET. You can generate the configuration code

NI USB-6008/6009 User Guide and Specifications 6 ni.com

based on your task or channel in Measurement Studio. Refer to the DAQ
Assistant Help for additional information about generating code. You also

can create channels and tasks, and write your own applications in your
ADE using the NI-DAQmx API.

For help with NI-DAQmx methods and properties, refer to the NI-DAQmx
.NET Class Library or the NI-DAQmx Visual C++ Class Library included
in the NI Measurement Studio Help. For general help with programming in
Measurement Studio, refer to the NI Measurement Studio Help, which is
fully integrated with the Microsoft Visual Studio .NET help. To view
this help file in Visual Studio. NET, select Measurement Studio»
NI Measurement Studio Help.

To create an application in Visual C++, Visual C#, or Visual Basic .NET,
follow these general steps:

1. In Visual Studio .NET, select File»New»Project to launch the New

Project dialog box.

2. Find the Measurement Studio folder for the language you want to
create a program in.

3. Choose a project type. You add DAQ tasks as a part of this step.

ANSI C without NI Application Software

The NI-DAQmx Help contains API overviews and general information
about measurement concepts. Select Start»All Programs»National
Instruments»NI-DAQ»NI-DAQmx Help.

The NI-DAQmx C Reference Help describes the NI-DAQmx Library
functions, which you can use with National Instruments data acquisition
devices to develop instrumentation, acquisition, and control applications.
Select Start»All Programs»National Instruments»NI-DAQ»
NI-DAQmx C Reference Help.

.NET Languages without NI Application Software

With the Microsoft .NET Framework version 1.1 or later, you can use
NI-DAQmx to create applications using Visual C# and Visual Basic
.NET without Measurement Studio. You need Microsoft Visual Studio
.NET 2003 or Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 for the API documentation to
be installed.

The installed documentation contains the NI-DAQmx API overview,
measurement tasks and concepts, and function reference. This help is fully
integrated into the Visual Studio .NET documentation. To view the
NI-DAQmx .NET documentation, go to Start»Programs»National

Instruments»NI-DAQ»NI-DAQmx .NET Reference Help. Expand
NI Measurement Studio Help»NI Measurement Studio .NET Class

© National Instruments Corporation 7 NI USB-6008/6009 User Guide and Specifications

Library»Reference to view the function reference. Expand NI
Measurement Studio Help»NI Measurement Studio .NET Class
Library»Using the Measurement Studio .NET Class Libraries to

view conceptual topics for using NI-DAQmx with Visual C# and
Vis u al Bas i c .NET.

To get to the same help topics from within Visual Studio, go to
Help»Contents. Select Measurement Studio from the Filtered By
drop-down list and follow the previous instructions.

Device Documentation and Specifications

NI-DAQmx includes the Device Document Browser, which contains online
documentation for supported DAQ and SCXI devices, such as documents
describing device pinouts, features, and operation. You can find, view,
and/or print the documents for each device using the Device Document
Browser at any time by inserting the CD. After installing the Device
Documentation Browser, device documents are accessible from Start»

All Programs»National Instruments»NI-DAQ»Browse Device
Documentation.

Note You can also download these documents at ni.com/manuals.

NI-DAQmx Base (Linux/Mac OS X/LabVIEW PDA 8.x)

The NI-DAQmx Base Getting Started Guide describes how to install your
NI-DAQmx Base software, your NI-DAQmx Base-supported DAQ device,
and how to confirm that your device is operating properly. In Windows,
select Start»All Programs»National Instruments»NI-DAQmx Base»
Documentation»Getting Started Guide.

Getting Started with NI-DAQmx Base for Linux and Mac Users describes
how to install your NI-DAQmx Base software, your NI-DAQmx
Base-supported DAQ device, and how to confirm that your device is
operating properly on your Mac/Linux machine.

The NI-DAQmx Base Readme lists which devices are supported by this
version of NI-DAQmx Base. In Windows, select Start»All Programs»
National Instruments»NI-DAQmx Base»DAQmx Base Readme.

The NI-DAQmx Base VI Reference Help contains VI reference and general
information about measurement concepts. In LabVIEW, select
Help»NI-DAQmx Base VI Reference Help.

The NI-DAQmx Base C Reference Help contains C reference and general
information about measurement concepts. In Windows, select Start»All

Programs»National Instruments»NI-DAQmx Base»Documentation»
C Function Reference Help.

NI USB-6008/6009 User Guide and Specifications 8 ni.com

Note All NI-DAQmx Base documentation for Linux is installed at

/usr/local/natinst/nidaqmxbase/documentation.

Note All NI-DAQmx Base documentation for Mac OS X is installed at

/Applications/National Instruments/NI-DAQmx Base/documentation.

Training Courses

If you need more help getting started developing an application with
NI products, NI offers training courses. To enroll in a course or obtain a
detailed course outline, refer to

Technical Support on the Web

For additional support, refer to ni.com/support or zone.ni.com.

Installing the Software

Software support for the NI USB-6008/6009 for Windows Vista/XP/2000
is provided by NI-DAQmx. The DAQ Getting Started Guide, which you
can download at
instructions for installing software and hardware, configuring channels and
tasks, and getting started developing an application.

ni.com/training.

ni.com/manuals, offers NI-DAQmx users step-by-step

Note For information about non-Windows operating system support, refer to ni.com/

info

and enter BaseGSGML.

Installing Other Software

If you are using other software, refer to the installation instructions that
accompany your software.

Example Programs

The NI-DAQmx CD contains example programs that you can use to get
started programming with the NI USB-6008/6009. Refer to the NI-DAQmx
for USB Devices Getting Started Guide that shipped with your device, and
is also accessible from Start»All Programs»National Instruments»
NI-DAQ, for more information.

The NI-DAQmx Base software ships with example programs you can use
to get started programming with the NI USB-6008/6009. Refer to the
NI-DAQmx Base Getting Started Guide that shipped with your device, and
is also accessible from Start»All Programs»National Instruments»
NI-DAQmx Base»Documentation, for more information.

© National Instruments Corporation 9 NI USB-6008/6009 User Guide and Specifications

Note For information about non-Windows operating system support, refer to ni.com/

info

and enter BaseGSGML.

Installing the NI USB-6008/6009 Device

Before installing the device, you must install the software you plan to use
with the device. Refer to the Installing the Software section of this guide
and the documentation included with the software for more information.

Figure 4 shows key functional components of the NI USB-6008/6009.

Full-Speed USB Interface

Vbus

USB

External

Powe r

Supply

USB Microcontroller

SPI

8 Channel

12/14b ADC

12b DAC

12b DAC

+5 V/200 mA

PFI 0

P1.<0..3>

P0.<0..7>

+2.5 V/CAL

AI <0..7>

AO 0

AO 1

Digital I/O Terminal Block

Analog I/O Terminal Block

Figure 4. Device Block Diagram

NI USB-6008/6009 User Guide and Specifications 10 ni.com