NI DAQCARD-4050 is identified by NI as the NI PCMCIA-4050, a digital multimeter implemented as a Type II PC card on a PCMCIA slave bus. Within the NI 4050 family, the base module provides DC voltage, AC voltage, 2-wire resistance, and diode testing. NI documentation distinguishes the primary DAQCard-4050 hardware from related accessories such as the P4-BJ2 probe cable and the CSM-10A or CSM-200mA current shunt modules. Current measurement is not standalone on the card itself; NI states that the NI 4050 requires a CSM to measure current.
For installation and operating limits, NI specifies a maximum working voltage of 250 V between either input terminal and earth ground. Power requirement is +5 VDC at 45 mA in operational mode, and NI recommends a 30-minute warm-up period for measurements to meet published accuracy specifications. Environmental limits listed in the official specifications are 0 °C to 55 °C operating temperature, -20 °C to 70 °C storage temperature, 10 to 90% noncondensing humidity, and altitude up to 2,000 m.
The DAQCard-4050 specification set includes 2-wire resistance ranges of 200 Ω, 2 kΩ, 20 kΩ, 200 kΩ, 2 MΩ, and extended resistance above 2 MΩ. NI also documents a diode test range of 2 V with 100 μA test current. For current measurement, the card is used with external Current Shunt Modules: with the CSM-200mA, NI recommends 20 mV and 200 mV DCV ranges corresponding to 20 mA and 200 mA ranges, while the CSM-10A uses the 200 mV DCV range corresponding to 10 A.
