Delta DVP series PLCs: platform overview for SA techs

For Delta Electronics ISPSoft V3.0+.

The DVP family covers compact (SS2), analogue compact (SX2), basic (ES2), and mid-range (EH3) lines. The pick by IO scale and feature need. This page is the working engineer's read — what the menu paths actually are in ISPSoft V3.0+, what the keystrokes do, and the mistakes that bite once the program is on a real CPU. We program DVP series / AS series ourselves, daily; we are not a Delta Electronics sales channel.

What this is and when you need it

The DVP family covers compact (SS2), analogue compact (SX2), basic (ES2), and mid-range (EH3) lines. The pick by IO scale and feature need. The walkthrough below is the same sequence we use when teaching this on the simulator. Every step names the exact menu path or keystroke; if a name has changed in your version of ISPSoft V3.0+, it is called out. The simulator runs the same logic flow without the licence cost — ladder, FBD, and ST in a browser, with a virtual CPU you can download to.

Walkthrough

1. Compare the DVP product split

DVP-SS2: compact, 8 in / 6 out fixed, no analogue, RS-485 only. DVP-SX2: compact with 4 analogue in / 2 analogue out, mixed digital/analogue. DVP-ES2: basic line, 16/16 to 40/40 IO with expansion modules, optional Ethernet via DVPEN01-SL. DVP-EH3: mid-range, supports motion (pulse-train output to 4 axes), more memory (64 KB), Ethernet built-in on certain models. AS300 is the newer Delta line — separate toolchain (ISPSoft + DIADesigner-AX).

2. Spec by IO count and analogue need

Project with under 16 IO, no analogue: DVP-SS2 around R3.5k. Project with 4 analogue points: DVP-SX2 around R5k. Project with 24+ IO and a couple of expansion modules (DVP04AD-S analogue input, DVP04PT-S RTD): DVP-ES2 starting around R5.5k plus expansion. Project with motion, Ethernet, recipe, more program memory: DVP-EH3 around R10k. The Delta cost advantage is real — entry-level DVP is roughly 30% the cost of an equivalent Siemens S7-1212C.

3. Decide on networking

DVP-SS2 / SX2: RS-485 Modbus RTU only — fine for skid-bound, no cross-panel comms. DVP-ES2: same as SS2 by default; add DVPEN01-SL for Ethernet (Modbus TCP slave only, no master). DVP-EH3: built-in Ethernet on the EH3-EH model (Modbus TCP master and slave). For any project that needs cross-PLC data exchange or SCADA integration over Ethernet, EH3 with built-in Ethernet is the practical floor.

// DVP networking option matrix
// SS2: RS-485 Modbus RTU                     (slave only typical)
// SX2: RS-485 Modbus RTU
// ES2: RS-485 + DVPEN01-SL Ethernet adapter  (TCP slave)
// EH3: RS-485 + built-in Ethernet            (TCP master + slave)

4. Decide on motion

DVP-EH3 supports up to 4 axes of pulse-train motion (200 kHz), enough for stepper drives and small servos. The pulse-train scheme is open-loop from the PLC — feedback is via encoder count read into a high-speed counter input. For coordinated motion or closed-loop servo with synchronisation, the AS300 line is the right Delta pick (separate toolchain). DVP-SS2 / SX2 / ES2 have no high-speed motion option.

5. Pick by total cost and the maintenance story

DVP is widespread in SA OEM low-cost panels: bottling lines, small extruders, bakery ovens, irrigation pumps. Spares are stocked at most local distributors and pricing is predictable. The toolchain (ISPSoft) is a free download with no license cost. Trade-off: the IEC 61131-3 compliance is partial — DVP supports Delta's instruction list and ladder, but not full ST or FBD with the breadth of Siemens or Rockwell. For projects that need full IEC 61131-3 compliance and rich third-party libraries, the AS300 line is the modern Delta answer.

Common mistakes

• Speccing DVP-SS2 for a project that later needs analogue — there is no expansion path, the swap is to SX2 or ES2 plus expansion module and the panel rewire is real
• Using DVP-ES2 with the Ethernet adapter for a project that needs Modbus TCP master — the DVPEN01-SL is slave-only and the master role needs an EH3 or a separate gateway
• Mixing octal and decimal addressing in cross-vendor SCADA tags — Delta Y10 maps to a decimal-8 in the SCADA's database and the sign-off testing hits the discrepancy late
• Assuming DVP IL (instruction list) ports cleanly to AS300's IEC 61131-3 ST — the migration needs hand work and the AS300 toolchain is a separate purchase

Each of these mistakes shows up in real projects every week. The simulator catches the first three at compile time; the fourth one only surfaces on hardware, which is why we recommend running the cert packs against a real CPU once you have completed the curriculum modules.

How this fits the broader curriculum

Delta DVP series PLCs: platform overview for SA techs is one of the building blocks. The full Delta Electronics curriculum on the simulator covers: programming-language fundamentals (ladder, FBD, ST), tag and variable scope, HMI tag binding, comms setup (Profinet / EtherNet/IP / Modbus depending on the platform), and the brownfield troubleshooting pathway. Each is its own module with worked examples and a portfolio piece. The cert packs at the Pro tier align to the ISA CCST exam content outline. Reference: isa.org.

For the platform-pick decision — when Delta Electronics is the right call versus a different brand — see the brand hub. For region-specific context on where Delta Electronics dominates the SA install base, see the relevant city pages under /brands/delta/training-in-* and the sector pages under /industries.

Where this sits in a working week

A technician who has finished this module typically spends the next three to four working days running the same logic flow on hardware. The simulator's value is the dry run — getting the keystrokes and the IDE conventions into muscle memory before you sit down with a live CPU. The first time you build this on hardware, expect the IO mapping and the addressing conventions to slow you down for a session or two; the simulator's project tree mirrors the same shape so the transition is short.

The full Delta Electronics curriculum runs roughly 60 to 100 hours of focused practice. That breaks into bit logic and timers in the first 20 hours, FBs and structured data in the next 20, comms and HMI in the next 20, and a portfolio piece in the last block. Pace yourself — three or four hours per session, four sessions a week, and you finish in eight weeks. Most of our learners report that the bottleneck is not understanding the IDE, it is building reflex around the conventions: where Delta Electronics expects you to put state, how it scopes variables, what naming patterns the OEMs in the sector use.

Vendor reference

Delta Electronics's own documentation is the canonical reference once you are working on real hardware: Delta Industrial Automation Support. The simulator covers the basics; the vendor docs cover everything specific to a hardware revision, a firmware update, or a CPU-specific quirk. Bookmark both. The IEC 61131-3 standard that governs all the Delta Electronics programming languages is at iec.ch.

What we don't claim

This site is not SAQA-registered, not MerSETA-accredited, and not an NQF-registered qualification provider. Our completion certificates are course-level only — they describe what you covered, not an NQF Level X qualification. The CCST cert from ISA is the portable industry credential we recommend; we are not an ISA cert delivery partner either, but our cert packs are CCST-aligned. The walkthrough above is brand-specific because Delta Electronics's tooling has its own conventions; do not assume the same menu paths exist in another brand's IDE.

How to start

You can be running delta dvp series plcs: platform overview for sa techs in the simulator in 5 minutes. Free tier covers the basics, no card, no install. Once you are 20 minutes in you will know whether the platform fits how you learn. The full Delta Electronics curriculum is the Basic tier (USD 12 / month). The cert packs and portfolio export sit in the Pro tier (USD 29 / month). For institutional buyers — TVET colleges, private training providers, in-house engineering training departments — the bulk-licence option is the Teams tier, USD 199 per seat per year, minimum 5 seats. The training-centres page has the institutional pitch and the contact form.

Honest expectations on the local job market

Petrochem, mining, FMCG, automotive, and water-utility sectors all carry Delta Electronics install bases somewhere in their stack. Knowing the IDE conventions on this page does not get you a job by itself; it gets you past the first technical screen. The portfolio piece — a working program you built yourself, with a wiring track, a tag list, an HMI screen, and a short README explaining the design choices — is what lands the second interview. The simulator's portfolio export bundles all of that into a single folder you can hand a hiring engineer. Recruiters in this space skim the README first; if your design choices are coherent, they read the code.

Load-shedding has reshaped what gets built first in Delta Electronics programs across SA. Power-recovery patterns — controlled shutdown on UPS hold, state recovery from retentive memory, sequenced restart of motor groups — now belong in the same module as the basics. Delta DVP series PLCs: platform overview for SA techs fits into that shape: every line of code you write needs to consider what state the controller is in when it powers up after a 2.5-hour cut, not just what state it is in when running. The simulator's restart-from-cut mode lets you exercise this without bricking real hardware.