Communication Method

A mechatronic system, the mechatronic system being an industrial automation system, the mechatronic system comprising:

• components;
• and
• controllers and drive controllers configured to communicate payload data originating from the components of the mechatronic system, the controllers and drive controllers configured to:
• transmit messages including payload data between the subscribers via the network, at least one of logical communication connections and physical communication connections between the subscribers of the network being used to transmit the messages, the messages including a sum frame message that combines payload data of multiple of the subscribers, the sum frame message being transmitted to the subscribers of the network;
• route the messages using a configurable routing structure, the configurable routing structure containing at least one partial route that covers only a subset of the subscribers of the network;
• route at least one partial message of the messages pertaining to the at least one partial route via the at least one partial route, the at least one partial message including a sum frame partial message that contains respective payload data only from subscribers of the at least one partial route;
• and
• at least one of:
• extract, with the subscribers of the partial route, the respective payload data from the sum frame partial message;
• and
• write, with the subscribers of the partial route, the respective payload data to the sum frame partial message.

A machine controller of a mechatronic system for communication between subscribers of a network, the network having multiple components of a mechatronic system, including controllers and drive controllers of an industrial automation installation, the machine controller configured to:

• transmit messages including payload data between the subscribers via the network, at least one of logical communication connections and physical communication connections between the subscribers of the network being used to transmit the messages, the messages including a sum frame message that combines payload data of multiple of the subscribers, the sum frame message being transmitted to the subscribers of the network;
• route the messages using a configurable routing structure, the configurable routing structure containing at least one partial route that covers only a subset of the subscribers of the network;
• route at least one partial message of the messages pertaining to the at least one partial route via the at least one partial route, the at least one partial message including a sum frame partial message that contains respective payload data only from subscribers of the at least one partial route;
• and
• at least one of:
• extract, with the subscribers of the partial route, the respective payload data from the sum frame partial message;
• and
• write, with the subscribers of the partial route, the respective payload data to the sum frame partial message,
• wherein the machine controller at least one of (i) provides for a configuration or at least partially automated ascertainment of the configurable routing structure, (ii) obtains the configuration from the network, and (iii) communicates or distributes the configuration in the network.