The MX6000 provides unparalleled flexibility and functionality in a single compact module. By simply connecting a single Ethernet cable from the host PC and supplying 24Vdc power, this powerful module provides all the functionality to drive ‘swappable’ particle counters, alarm message displays, environmental inputs, Air Sampler controllers, a beacon stack and watchdog subsystems simultaneously. A single physical Ethernet port expands into six physical RS485 serial buses. The RS485 buses appear within the host PC as virtualised COM ports and behave exactly like local COM ports on the PC. Perfectly matched to enVigil FMS and enVigil PnP, this single module combines the functionality of an Ethernet Serial Device Server, multiple particle counter controllers and an alarm beacon interface. The MX6000 supports up to six particle counters directly and offers a pass-through mode to additional MX6000 modules that act as expanders each supporting up to six particle counters. The pass-through mode automatically recognises serial protocol requests for particle counters beyond its local capability and transparently redirects them via Ethernet to the appropriate MX6000 module. The on-board real-time clock and Micro SD storage make it possible for data to be logged local to the MX6000 during communications loss or failure of the host PC and results retrieved later via FTP. MX6000 is configured using a utility that defines global settings such as IP address and selects the ‘task’ or function associated with each RS485 port.