Automation System and Method for Operation of the System

An automation system, comprising:

• a first control device having a first field bus terminal;
• a second control device having a second field bus terminal;
• a field bus;
• and
• a peripheral assembly having at least one input/output peripheral module for connection to at least one of sensors and actuators, the peripheral assembly including an interface module having a third field bus terminal for communication to and/or from the control devices, and the interface module having at least one input/output module storing interconnect information which creates an association between inputs/outputs of the at least one input/output peripheral modules and the first and second control devices;
• wherein the interface module further includes a virtual data set module in which a data set receiving module is associated with the first control device to which a data set is writable by the first control device, and further includes a data set transmitting module, within the data set module, associated with the second controller from which the data set is retrievable by the second control device;
• and
• wherein the virtual data set module is simultaneously formed such that the data set is copied from the data set receiving module to the data set transmitting module such that a communication path is established between the first and second control devices.