VIPA 317-2AJ12 CPU 317SE/DPM-Speed7 Processor Module with 1 MB Work Memory

Description

The 317-2AJ12​ is a high-performance CPU module manufactured by VIPA — now part of the Yaskawa group — and sold as the CPU 317SE/DPM-Speed7, the flagship processor of the VIPA SPEED7 line. It is a direct, form-factor-compatible replacement for the Siemens S7-300 family that runs the same Step 7 project files, yet delivers a scan-time performance the vendor rates at up to a thousand times faster than a standard S7-300 CPU. In plain terms, it is the controller to reach for when the existing S7-300 rack, I/O, and wiring must stay in place but the process has outgrown the original scan time.

Inside the 317-2AJ12​ sits the SPEED7 ASIC, VIPA’s own processor architecture built specifically for PLC work rather than adapted from a general-purpose chip. The result is 1 MB of work memory, 128 kB of load memory, a 40-pin male front connector supplied in the box, and two slots for one expansion module plus one communication module. Two PROFIBUS interfaces — one combined MPI/DPM1 port and one dedicated DP port — handle programming, HMI, and distributed I/O at up to 12 Mbps, with full DPV0/DPV1/DPV2 master and slave capability. The module runs on 24 V DC (20.4–28.8 V), weighs 750 g, and carries a long list of approvals including CE, UL 508, CSA, FM, and multiple marine-class certifications. Sales ended on 31 December 2021, so the 317-2AJ12​ now circulates as new-surplus and tested spare stock — which makes a verified unit and a migration plan part of the same purchase decision.

Application Scenario

A European packaging-machine builder had a successful product line running on a Siemens S7-300, but the mechanical side kept getting faster. The original CPU could no longer close the control loop within the available window: registration marks arrived faster than the scan could react, so print registration drifted and the reject rate climbed. Rewriting the logic bought a little time; replacing the entire rack and I/O with a newer platform meant re-certifying the machine and retraining the service network in dozens of plants.

The builder dropped in the 317-2AJ12. The existing S7-300 rack, I/O modules, and Profibus cabling stayed in place, and the Step 7 project loaded with no conversion work — the optional Step 7 engineering tool was not even required, since the SPEED7 CPU accepts standard S7-300 project files. With a scan time of 4.5 ms per 1K instructions, the registration loop closed comfortably, reject rates fell back to the original specification, and the machine kept its certification. Two years later the builder still specifies the 317-2AJ12​ for legacy lines, and the service team carries a tested spare because the model is no longer in production.

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