# NI-DAQmx DAQ Devices

An MCP server that hands an AI agent control over National Instruments hardware through the NI-DAQmx driver: voltage and thermocouple reads, digital line reads, analog and digital writes.

- MCP server · `type=mcp` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf (Devin Desktop), Cline, Zed, Gemini CLI · ★ 23
- Author: K-Dense-AI
- License: Apache-2.0 · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/K-Dense-AI/lab-instrument-mcps/tree/HEAD/servers/engineering/ni-daqmx
- Updated: 2026-09-26
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/ni-daqmx-daq-devices

## What it does

Under the hood it talks to the `nidaqmx` Python package, which wraps the official NI-DAQmx driver. Read tools cover `read_analog` for one or more analog inputs, `read_thermocouple` for types B, E, J, K, N, R, S and T, and `read_digital_lines`. Call `get_connection_info` and `get_device_info` first to see channels, ranges and rates.

Writes sit behind a separate gate. `write_analog` and `write_digital_lines` are flagged as hazardous, and `set_outputs_safe` drives outputs back to zero. Launching with `--read-only` keeps acquisitions working while blocking output tools. Default limits are 5 V on an analog output, 100 000 samples per channel, 100 000 Hz and 60 s per acquisition; they are checked before any command goes out, and the board's own range still applies.

The NI-DAQmx driver is a separate install and runs on Windows and Linux only — macOS is out. Device names come from NI MAX or `nilsdev` on Linux, and NI MAX test panels have to be closed before you connect. No driver means no hardware access, so start with `uvx labmcp-ni-daqmx --check`.

## Requirements
- Needs: Python and uv (commands run via uvx)
- Environment variables: `LABMCP_ADDRESS`, `LABMCP_SIMULATE`, `LABMCP_READ_ONLY`, `LABMCP_LIMITS` — keys and tokens: ask the human for the values, never commit them or put them in shared files.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

**Platform CLI**
```bash
claude mcp add --env LABMCP_ADDRESS=<LABMCP_ADDRESS> --env LABMCP_SIMULATE=<LABMCP_SIMULATE> --env LABMCP_READ_ONLY=<LABMCP_READ_ONLY> --env LABMCP_LIMITS=<LABMCP_LIMITS> --transport stdio ni-daqmx -- uvx labmcp-ni-daqmx
```
Replace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from labmcp-ni-daqmx <command>

### Codex

**Platform CLI**
```bash
codex mcp add ni-daqmx --env LABMCP_ADDRESS=<LABMCP_ADDRESS> --env LABMCP_SIMULATE=<LABMCP_SIMULATE> --env LABMCP_READ_ONLY=<LABMCP_READ_ONLY> --env LABMCP_LIMITS=<LABMCP_LIMITS> -- uvx labmcp-ni-daqmx
```
Replace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from labmcp-ni-daqmx <command>

### Cursor

**Config file**
File `.cursor/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "ni-daqmx": {
            "command": "uvx",
            "args": [
                "labmcp-ni-daqmx"
            ],
            "env": {
                "LABMCP_ADDRESS": "<LABMCP_ADDRESS>",
                "LABMCP_SIMULATE": "<LABMCP_SIMULATE>",
                "LABMCP_READ_ONLY": "<LABMCP_READ_ONLY>",
                "LABMCP_LIMITS": "<LABMCP_LIMITS>"
            }
        }
    }
}
```
Replace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from labmcp-ni-daqmx <command>

### GitHub Copilot

**Config file**
File `.vscode/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "servers": {
        "ni-daqmx": {
            "type": "stdio",
            "command": "uvx",
            "args": [
                "labmcp-ni-daqmx"
            ],
            "env": {
                "LABMCP_ADDRESS": "<LABMCP_ADDRESS>",
                "LABMCP_SIMULATE": "<LABMCP_SIMULATE>",
                "LABMCP_READ_ONLY": "<LABMCP_READ_ONLY>",
                "LABMCP_LIMITS": "<LABMCP_LIMITS>"
            }
        }
    }
}
```
Replace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from labmcp-ni-daqmx <command>

### Gemini CLI

**Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini mcp add -e LABMCP_ADDRESS=<LABMCP_ADDRESS> -e LABMCP_SIMULATE=<LABMCP_SIMULATE> -e LABMCP_READ_ONLY=<LABMCP_READ_ONLY> -e LABMCP_LIMITS=<LABMCP_LIMITS> ni-daqmx uvx labmcp-ni-daqmx
```
Replace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from labmcp-ni-daqmx <command>

## When to use it
- measure voltage across several analog inputs and get per-channel statistics
- read a thermocouple temperature through an NI 9211 module
- check the logic level of digital lines on a CompactDAQ chassis
- set a DC voltage on an analog output and later return it to zero
- run a full workflow without any hardware attached

## Example prompts
- Acquire ai0 and ai1 at 10 kHz for 0.5 s on the ±1 V range, compute the RMS noise per channel, and save everything to `~/daq/noise.csv`.
- Read the type K thermocouples on cDAQ1Mod1/ai0 and report the temperature in Celsius.

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From the same set: [k-dense-ai/lab-instrument-mcps](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/by/k-dense-ai/lab-instrument-mcps.md) — 15 cards

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