Data processing method

A data processing method, which comprises the steps of:

• transmitting data between various network subscribers of a network in accordance with a communication cycle containing consecutive time intervals defined in a communication scheme, a plurality of data processing apparatuses being provided as the various network subscribers;
• during at least one time interval of the communication cycle, predefined network subscribers of the network subscribers are authorized either to send or to receive data in each case;
• executing a process cycle by each of the plurality of data processing apparatuses;
• carrying out consecutive process steps in a respective said process cycle, in which at least a part of the data is either read in, processed or output in each case;
• synchronizing the communication cycle with the process cycle of at least one of the plurality of data processing apparatuses such that, during an execution time of the communication cycle, a predefined process step of the process cycle of the at least one of the plurality of data processing apparatuses is carried out during a time interval of the communication cycle assigned to the predefined process step;
• and
• executing the communication cycle and also the process cycle of the at least one of the plurality of data processing apparatuses a number of times.

A system for carrying out a data processing method, the system comprising:

• a network configured to transmit data between various network subscribers of the network in accordance with a communication cycle containing consecutive time intervals defined in a communication scheme;
• a plurality of data processing apparatuses, which are each embodied as a network subscriber and which are each configured to read in, to process and/or to output at least a part of the data in a process cycle containing consecutive process steps;
• predefined network subscribers of said network subscribers are each able to be authorized to send or to receive data during at least one of predefined time intervals of the consecutive time intervals;
• the communication cycle is synchronized with the process cycle of at least one of said plurality of data processing apparatuses such that, during a time in which the communication cycle is executing, a predefined process step of the process cycle of the at least one of said plurality of data processing apparatuses is able to be carried out during a time interval of the communication cycle assigned to one of the predefined process steps;
• and
• the communication cycle and the process cycle of at least one of said plurality of data processing apparatuses is executed multiple times.