Patent ID: 8457163

Claim:
A method for data transmission, comprising the following steps: providing a data network having at least two participants and at least one topological real-time field and one topological non-real-time field, wherein said data network is at least in part a repeating data network, and wherein said at least two participants comprise at least one primary master participant and at least one secondary slave participant; producing data telegrams containing at least one real-time part and at least one non-real-time part; sending said data telegrams containing said at least one real-time part and at least one non-real-time part via the data network; providing a coupling unit; routing the data telegrams by the coupling unit from the at least one non-real time field into an Internet Protocol channel in the at least one real-time field, wherein the coupling unit is passive with respect to real-time communication; processing by said coupling unit of only the Internet Protocol channel; calculating by the coupling unit of a permitted region by using an earliest and latest receipt time and respective telegram lengths; delaying the data telegrams from the non-real-time field that arrive within the real-time part and transmitting said data telegrams from the non-real-time filed arriving within the real-time part to the non-real-time part via said coupling unit, wherein said data network is comprised by a real-time communication system for automation purposes comprising input/output interfaces; and ascertaining the position of the non-real-time part by evaluation of reception times of received data telegrams.