Patent ID: 8897408

Claim:
A method for operating an automation system with a plurality of automation devices controlling a technical process of the automation system and linked via a serial connection for communication, with at least one automation device operating as a sender and at least one automation device operating as a receiver, said sender and receiver operating with a common communication clock cycle, the method comprising the steps of: the at least one sender receiving a synchronizing signal from the technical process and determining with a local counter of the at least one sender an offset value between the synchronizing signal and an occurrence of the communication clock cycle, wherein a clock cycle of the local counter is shorter than the common communication clock cycle, the at least one sender transmitting the determined offset value as a value of the local counter of the at least one sender in a telegram to the at least one receiver, the at least one receiver receiving the telegram with the offset value from the at least one sender and waiting, after the occurrence of the common communication clock cycle, until a local counter of the at least one receiver having a clock cycle identical to the clock cycle of the local counter of the at least one sender indicates that a time period has elapsed, wherein the time period is equal to the offset value, and the at least one receiver generating an output signal for controlling the technical process after the time period has elapsed.