Low-Cost Digital I/O Device for USB
NI USB-6501
• Small, portable digital I/O device
Operating Systems
• Windows Vista/XP/2000
• Mac OS X1
• 24 digital I/O lines, one 32-bit counter
• Overvoltage protection, 8.5 mA
current drive
• Full-speed USB (12 Mb/s) bus interface
• Built-in screw terminals with removable
connectors for easier connectivity
• Linux®1
Recommended Software
• LabVIEW
• LabWindows™/CVI
• OEM version available with 34-pin IDC
mass termination connectivity
Measurement Services
Software (included)
• NI-DAQmx driver software
• Measurement & Automation Explorer
configuration utility
1Mac OS X and Linux users need to download
NI-DAQmx Base.
Terminal
Signal
GND
+5 V
P1.7
P1.6
P1.5
P1.4
GND
GND
P2.7
P2.6
P2.5
P2.4
P2.3
P2.2
P2.1
P2.0
Overview
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The National Instruments USB-6501 is a portable digital I/O device,
providing reliable data acquisition and control at a low price. With
plug-and-play USB connectivity, the NI USB-6501 is simple enough
for home/academic applications but robust and versatile enough for
laboratory/industrial applications. The board-only version is ideal
for embedded OEM applications.
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Digital I/O Counter/
Current
Drive
Industrial
Logic Level Feature Set
Product
Bus
Lines
Timers
NI 6501
USB
24
1
8.5 mA
5 V TTL /
CMOS
–
Table 1. USB-6501 Features
Terminal
Signal
P0.0
P0.1
P0.2
P0.3
P0.4
P0.5
P0.6
P0.7
GND
GND
P1.0
P1.1
P1.2
P1.3
+5 V
GND
Hardware
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32
The USB-6501 is a full-speed USB device that provides 24 DIO lines and
a 32-bit counter. The 24 digital lines are arranged in three ports: P0.<0..7>,
P1.<0..7>, and P2.<0..7>. P2.7 can also function as a 32-bit counter. You
can individually program each of the USB-6501 DIO lines as a DI or DO
line and use the DIO lines to monitor or control digital signals. All
samples of the DI lines and updates of the DO lines are software-timed.
The default configuration of the USB-6501 DIO ports is open-drain, for
5 V operation with an onboard 4.7 kΩ pull-up resistor. You can add an
external, user-provided, pull-up resistor to increase the source current
drive up to 8.5 mA per line.
Each DIO signal is protected against overvoltage, undervoltage, and
overcurrent conditions, as well as ESD events. At system startup and
reset, the hardware sets all DIO lines to high-impedance inputs.
Figure 1. USB-6501 Pinout