Patent ID: 8495582

Claim:
A method for performing a plurality of online program changes on an automation system, comprising: operating the automaton system in a cycle-based mode having a fixed cycle time per base cycle and having a plurality of additional enumerated cycles having cycle times which are multiples of the base cycle time, wherein programs are executed in a distributed fashion across enumerated cycles having different speeds by dividing the programs into a number of program parts, assigning the program parts to an assigned enumerated cycle based on an execution speed priority, and processing the program parts during an assigned enumerated cycle in order to provide for different program execution speeds based on the assigned enumerated cycle; executing a current user program in cycle-based mode on a CPU of the automation system; loading a plurality of new program parts into the CPU in order to provide a modified user program; running a first execution of all program cycles of the modified user program; monitoring over a monitoring period the first execution of all program cycles of the second user program, wherein the monitoring period comprises the enumerated cycle having the slowest program execution speed; and determining either a CPU overload situation when a sum of runtimes of all program parts in a base cycle exceeds the fixed cycle time based on the monitoring, wherein a switch back to the previous user program occurs, or a no overload situation, wherein the execution of the modified program will be continued.