Panasonic KX-TDE Series Overview

The KX-TDE is Panasonic’s top of the line series of PBX systems. It is everything that the KX-TDA series is, but with a great deal of emphasis placed on IP Networking, IP Trunks (SIP) and IP Extensions. In other words, it is a KX-TDA system with many extras.

There are three models within the KX-TDE series - the medium size KX-TDE100, the large size KX-TDE200 and the extra large size KX-TDE600.

The KX-TDE100 has a Central Processing Unit and 6 universal card slots. Each universal card slot can accommodate any number of trunk cards, extension cards or option cards. People starting out with a KX-TDE100 and then later outgrowing it have 2 upgrade options available, the KX-TDE200 or the KX-TDE600.

The KX-TDE200 has a Central Processing Unit and 11 universal card slots. Like the KX-TDE100, each universal card slot can accommodate trunk cards, extension cards or option cards. Should someone outgrow a kx-nt346, it’s a matter of simply upgrading to the extra large, KX-TDE600. 

A few of the cards available for the KX-TDE100 and KX-TDE200 are not transferrable to the KX-TDE600. Those cards are the KX-TDA0174 (SLC16), KX-TDA0175 (MSLC16), KX-TDA0180 (LCOT8) and KX-TDA0181 (LCOT16).

The KX-TDE600 is the most serious product in Panasonic’s arsenal, and is their largest and most versatile system. It starts out as a large single-cabinet PBX and grows into a very large PBX by adding as many as 3 expansion cabinets. Since this system can be easily networked to other KX-TDA and KX-TDE systems, multiple KX-TDE600 systems can be chained together to form a large cluster of KX-TDA/TDE systems. The end result is a product that is capable of supporting upwards of 5,000 C.O Lines (trunks) and over 8,000 extensions.

KX-TDE series PBX systems can support nearly any type of Trunking available, including Loop Start Central Office Lines (POTS), VoIP, T1, ISDN-PRI, SIP and H.323. With a few external adapters, it will also support Cellular and Satellite, which is especially useful for command vehicles, motor yachts and large private aircraft.

Something else that places the KX-TDE series in a league of its own is something called a "Virtual Shelf" and "Virtual Cards." Each KX-TDE100, KX-TDE200 and KX-TDE600 has 1 Virtual Shelf included with the main cabinet. Virtual Shelves are split into two halves - a Virtual C.O. (or trunk) Bay and a Virtual Extension (or station) Bay. Up to 4 Virtual Cards may be installed in each Bay for a total of 8 Virtual Cards. Virtual Cards can be installed remotely. Currently the 4 cards that are available are:

(1)   The V-IPGW16: a 16-circuit network trunk gateway card used to communicate with other PBX systems that support H.323 protocol.

(2)  The V-SIPGW16: a 16-circuit network trunk gateway card used to communicate with SIP Trunk service Providers, such as Broadvox.

(3)  The V-IPEXT32: a 32-circuit network extension card used to communicate with Panasonic’s high-end KX-NT series Proprietary VoIP phones.

(4)  The V-SIPEXT32: a 32-circuit network extension card used to communicate with SIP extension devices including VoIP Phones, SIP Softphones, SIP Paging, SIP Gate Phones, etc.

The ability to use Virtual Cards on a moment’s notice makes the KX-TDE series the most versatile PBX on Earth. The ability to add cards remotely means that site visits are no longer necessary and there is no need to wait for parts to be ordered and shipped.

To summarize, KX-TDE series PBX systems are top of the line products ranging in size from Medium (approximately 180 ports) to Large (approximately 250 ports) to Extra Large (approximately 1200 ports) to Very Large (Clustered into 10,000 ports or more). If unexpected growth occurs, there are several inexpensive upgrade options available since most cards may be used throughout the entire series.