Centraleta

Centraleta is a term used in Iberian Spanish and Portuguese to refer to a compact central unit. It is a diminutive form of centralita or central and is often used to denote a smaller or simplified central control device. The meaning varies with context, but two common uses are telephony and security systems.

In telephony, a centraleta describes a small PBX or central switchboard that connects a handful of extensions to external lines and provides basic call-management features for homes or small offices. Telephony centraletas can be analog or digital and increasingly are IP-based (IP-PBX, SIP). Features may include extension dialing, call routing, voicemail, auto-attendant, conferencing, and basic call recording.

In security, centraleta refers to the main control panel of an alarm or monitoring system. It collects inputs from sensors, keypads, and devices, and controls sirens, relays, and communications with monitoring services. Modern centraletas are compact, may be wired or wireless, and can communicate via telephone, radio, LAN, or cellular networks. They often include power backup and support for multiple zones and user codes.

Regional usage varies; some speakers prefer centralita for the standard term, while centraleta emphasizes small size or informal usage. The term is often found in product descriptions, manuals, and consumer discussions rather than formal specifications.

Related terms include centralita, PBX, IP-PBX, VoIP, alarm panel, and control panel.