I own a small 40 room Motel and currently have installed a Mitel 200 analog system (217). Amazingly after 20-plus years the sytems is still working fine but I want to plan for the day when the system does eventually go down.

I was looking at acquiring a SX-50 or possibly a 200sx el\ml and keep the old sx as a backup but I have a few questions before I make my final decision.

As far as connecting either a SX-50 or SX-200 el\ml to the current wiring configuration how extensive, if any, would the wiring changes be?

Could someone explain to me the differences between Mitel's EL and ML version.

Final question has to do with MOSS Sheets and if I bought a Mitel EL\ML with a moss sheet and added hardware would I need to get a new MOSS sheet and if thats the case how does one go about that.

I'm leaning towards purchasing an SX-50 because at this point I think it would be simpler to implement but I'm open to any suggestions.

Thanks in advance to any and all input.

The key to owning a 217 is that you have the programming documented somewhere. If you have no real reason to upgrade, I would just grab another 217 for standby. The SX-200 is rock solid, and unless you see flames pouring out of the cabinet, some or all of it would be salvageable, even in a catastrophic failure.

That being said, the 200 wiring is not plug compatible with either the 50 or the ML/EL. A 200 spreads 6 8-port cards over 2 cables for 48 ports and they are in groups of 4. An ML/EL spreads 2 adjacent 12-port cards in a cable, but the 13th pair is the seperator. A 50 brings 16 ports out on each cable as the first 16 pairs.

You could create a hot standby with the switch you get so it would be numbered the same as your present switch, but it would be more sane to run new crosscuts. Especially since in a 200 the block probably reads 199,101,102,103,108,109,110,111 etc.

A MOSS sheet needs to be generated for the different changes to your ML/EL. I think the basic switch is 96 or 144 ports, so it doesn't apply in your case. Your BLUE card count is fixed on the MOSS sheet, and you can add WHITE cards up to the port allotment in the MOSS sheet.
Your card count would fit in a single shelf, 3 analog station cards, 1 digital, 1 or 2 trunks and an MEM if you're going the VM route. A MOSS sheet change requires a Mitel dealer or a good friend in the Mitel business.

And last, this is just a guess, but I think the ML looks like a huge file server, and the EL is a cardfile that mounts in a relay rack. I'm sure someone will enlighten us if that is wrong. Both support 96 ports in the first card file.

Of course, if you're looking for a new switch for corporate reasons, none of these switches would work, but that's another thread.

Carl, the SX200 is the horizontal one. The SX2000 looks like a big file server. That's all I know about Mitel

Yep, ya learned something new today. Check your email for a 200-ML pdf.

I think by part number one's a 9109-600-001 and the other is a 002.

I stand corrected So I guess the 200-ML and 2000 are the file server-looking ones.

Oh yeah, duh, Lourdes College has a 2000.

RockyCVM, I'd suggetst skipping over the SX50. No new parts in 5 years! Product discontinued in 2001/2002. Parts are already getting tight, try buying an SX50 console, 3-6 month lead time!
The EL is also out of production, but parts are all over the place! Getting a MOSS upgrade will be a problem unless it's 19R3, the last EL software release. Parts are pretty much interchangeable from the first 200D Generic 1001 thru EL 19R3. Cabinet shapes and sizes changed and software went from 5 1/4 floppies to flashcards. CPU's changed. But periphial cards are pretty much interchangeable, EXCEPT FOR THE BLUE LABEL CARDS. You 'buy' permission to use those and, in my experience, the cost of the permission + the reduced price of the blue label cards is far outweighed by the non-reliability of the Digital card, if it is supporting 2 or more devices! You still have to buy 'permission' to use 'devices', but there is an additional charge for using blue-label cards. The white label cards can be used in the EL, but you have to have permission for an adequate number of 'devices'. Devices are: extensions virtual or otherwise, trunk ports, SMDR, MOH, etc.
Truth be known, you really need to look at the IPC systems. The price is right. The only reason to go to EL would be if you had an assortment of digital periphial cards already in your permission.
As for being able to go from one system to the other, a little thought and several custom amphenol cables can take care of the problem. Been there, done that, going from analog 200 to 2 cabinet EL. Not hard, just need a butterfly tool and station/trunk layouts of the 2 systems.
John C. (Not Garand)

Just wondering, what does MOSS sheet stand for?
They are using my last name...

Mitel Option (Not Sure About SS) System Sheet is what we called it. John C. (Not Garand)

FYI....
Enabling additional "Blue" ons cards can only be done on the SX200icp.
None of the Mitel systems allow you to add additional Blue digital cards.
MOSS upgrades are availabel (from an authorized dealer) for all of the EL/MLs.
The ONE thing you can't do is upgrade to a higher "Feature Level".
SX20 thru SX2000 parts are readily available, if you know who to contact (hint, hint)!!

Um, the first MLs could use Digital Light cases ("File Server" style) but from about LW 18+, the MLs and ELs both look like microwave ovens.

Programming is extremely similar from LW 15/16 (which could be in a hybrid digital/analog that looks like a small refrigerator).

The main difference between an ML and an EL is that the ML will usually support no more than 2 cases (i.e. ~128 ports not counting T-1s). EL will support as many as 7 cases. After LW 19 Rel. 3, I think it is, the ML was discontinued, and only ELs made from then on.

Pay close attention to the maximum number of ports permitted in Form 4 (also shown on the MOSS sheet). Also pay attention to the max number of BNIC and BONS cards, as this can lead to confusion in configuration.

Hope that helps.