The KX-TDA series is extremely popular line of PBX systems for people that are willing to pay for the privilege of upgrading to IP and Networking features should they ever need it. In other words, it "can" be networked and it "can" use VoIP phones both on and off-premise and it "can" be programmed remotely via IP but it needs optional cards to do so. This is in contrast with the KX-TA and KX-TAW series systems, which cannot be networked, cannot use IP Phones and cannot be programmed via IP - no matter what.
The KX-TDA series consists of only four models for U.S. consumption. They are the KX-TDA50G , the KX-TDA100 , the KX-TDA200 and the KX-TDA600.
The KX-TDA50G is the smallest of the 4 models. It has a series of expansion cards and option boards that are unique unto its self. Should you outgrow a KX-TDA50G, you cannot use any of the cards in any other model, which puts it in a class all its’ own.
The KX-TDA100 and KX-TDA200 are the most popular selling models in the series. The KX-TDA100 has roughly 3 times the capacity as the KX-TDA50G. Should you outgrow a KX-TDA100, all of the expansion and option cards may be removed and reinstalled in the larger KX-TDA200, which is roughly twice the size of the KX-TDA100. And, if that’s not large enough, most of the expansion and option cards may be removed from the KX-TDA200 and reinstalled in the larger KX-TDA600, which is roughly 4 times the size of the KX-TDA200.
Since the KX-TDA100, KX-TDA200 and KX-TDA600 share cards, it makes these three products an amazing value and a perfect choice for people who are uncertain about their anticipated growth of networking needs.
The KX-TDA600 is the only one of the models that uses expansion cabinets. The first cabinet is almost identical to a KX-TDA200. What separates it from the KX-TDA200 is that it has one extra card slot, which can accommodate something called a BUS Card. This BUS card is what interconnects the cabinets. So, if someone is fairly certain that they will have growth that will exceed the KX-TDA200’s maximum capacity, it is best to start out with a single cabinet KX-TDA600 and then add expansion cabinets if and when the need arises. From the standpoint of protecting one’s investment this is the best model with the series.
KX-TDA50 systems may be wall mounted or rack mounted with an optional rack mounting kit. KX-TDA100 and KX-TDA200 systems may be desk mounted, wall mounted or rack mounted with an optional rack mounting kit. KX-TDA600 systems may be wall mounted or floor mounted with an optional floor mounting kit. The system is actually too wide to mount in a standard 19-inch equipment rack and still maintain serviceability so Panasonic has chosen not to offer a rack mounting kit for the KX-TDA600.
KX-TDA50G, KX-TDA100, KX-TDA200 and KX-TDA600 PBX systems are fully compatible with the KX-TVA series Voice Processing Systems as well as the older KX-TVS series.
There is one cautionary note that we would like to make regarding the KX-TDA series: There is one other rather obscure model called the KX-TDA30. The KX-TDA30 is similar in looks to the KX-TDA50G but is not a U.S. Certified Panasonic product. At the very least, it lacks FCC Certification, which makes it illegal to connect to the U.S. telephone network. There is also no U.S. Panasonic Factory Warranty available for this model so we will not detail this product further. This warning is ONLY for the model KX-TDA30. All other models are FCC Registered and fully warranted in the U.S. by Panasonic.
To summarize, KX-TDA50G is a good choice for smaller applications where Networking might be desirable sometime in the future. KX-TDA100, 200 and 600 are ever better choices where Networking might be in the future because they offer a huge upgrade solution by sharing cards. If your intent is to implement networking features either immediately or soon after deployment, then we would recommend that you consider either the KX-NCP series or the KX-TDE series instead of the KX-TDA series
