Method for communicating data between participants of an automation system having an active participant and at least two passive participants comprising at least a first passive participant and a second passive participant, wherein the active participant and the passive participants are connected to one another via a bus system, wherein the active participant is configured to initiate data communication by transmitting communication requests, and wherein the passive participants are configured to transmit corresponding response messages in response to the communication requests, wherein the first passive participant comprises a first connection unit for determining a first transmission time for the transmission of a first response message by the first passive participant, and wherein the second passive participant comprises a second connection unit for determining a second transmission time for the transmission of a second response message by the second participant, comprising: receiving a write request, which is transmitted by the active participant, for the transmission of response messages by the first passive participant and the second passive participant in a first receiving step; characterized by: counting data units received after receiving the write request by the first passive participant, until a first number is reached, by means of the first connection unit in a first counting step, and determining the first transmission time for the transmission of the first response message by means of the first connection unit of the first passive participant in a first determination step, wherein the first transmission time corresponds to a time at which a number of data units received by the first passive participant according to a permanently defined data transmission rate after receiving the write request is equal to the first number; transmitting the first response message at the first transmission time by means of the first passive participant in a first response step; receiving the first response message by means of the active participant and the second passive participant in a second receiving step; counting data units received after receiving the write request by the second passive participant, until a second number is reached, by means of the second connection unit in a second counting step, and determining the second transmission time for the transmission of the second response message by means of the second connection unit in a second determination step, wherein the second transmission time corresponds to a time at which a number of data units received by the second passive participant according to the permanently defined data transmission rate after receiving the write request is equal to the second number; transmitting the second response message at the second transmission time by means of the second passive participant in a second response step; receiving the second response message by means of the active participant and the first passive participant in a third receiving step; and interpreting the first response message and the second response message as a first data segment and a second data segment of a data packet by means of the active participant in an interpretation step. counting data units received after receiving the write request by the first passive participant, until a first number is reached, by means of the first connection unit in a first counting step, and determining the first transmission time for the transmission of the first response message by means of the first connection unit of the first passive participant in a first determination step, wherein the first transmission time corresponds to a time at which a number of data units received by the first passive participant according to a permanently defined data transmission rate after receiving the write request is equal to the first number; transmitting the first response message at the first transmission time by means of the first passive participant in a first response step; receiving the first response message by means of the active participant and the second passive participant in a second receiving step; counting data units received after receiving the write request by the second passive participant, until a second number is reached, by means of the second connection unit in a second counting step, and determining the second transmission time for the transmission of the second response message by means of the second connection unit in a second determination step, wherein the second transmission time corresponds to a time at which a number of data units received by the second passive participant according to the permanently defined data transmission rate after receiving the write request is equal to the second number; transmitting the second response message at the second transmission time by means of the second passive participant in a second response step; receiving the second response message by means of the active participant and the first passive participant in a third receiving step; and interpreting the first response message and the second response message as a first data segment and a second data segment of a data packet by means of the active participant in an interpretation step.