Method and apparatus for transmitting data in an automated control system

A control system having a plurality of spatially distributed stations, at least some of which have input connectors for connecting sensors or output connectors for connecting actuators, wherein the stations are connected from station to station to form a series of stations, wherein the series of stations has a first station, at least one second station and a last station, wherein the first station and every second station each have a successor in the series, and wherein every second station and the last station each have a predecessor in the series, and wherein

• the first station is designed to generate a number of separate data telegrams, which number is equal to the number of second stations plus the last station, with every data telegram being addressed to one of the second and the last stations, wherein the individual data telegrams for at least two different stations are structurally different in structure, length and/or position of an address data,
• the first station is further designed to send the data telegrams one by one at defined time intervals to its successor, wherein the data telegrams are addressed in reverse order of the series of stations, such that, in sequence, a first data telegram sent by said first station to its successor at a first defined time interval defining the beginning of a communication cycle is addressed to the last station, a second data telegram sent by said first station to its successor at a second defined time interval is addressed to the predecessor of the last station, etc., and a last data telegram sent by said first station to its successor at a last defined time interval in said communication cycle is addressed to its successor,
• every second station is designed to receive a data telegram from its respective predecessor and to send the received data telegram to its respective successor in the manner of a bucket brigade at said defined time intervals, until it receives a data telegram which is addressed to itself, and
• the second stations and the last station each are designed to generate an individual reply telegram related to an operating condition of the station which is directed to the first station in response to the receipt of a data telegram addressed to itself, and to send the individual reply telegrams to their respective predecessors in the manner of a bucket brigade,
• wherein the stations send the data telegrams substantially simultaneously to their respective successors such that every station receives a data telegram addressed to itself after a number of time intervals which is equal to the number of second stations plus the last station,
• wherein the second stations and the last station process the received data telegrams substantially simultaneously and generate their respective individual reply telegrams at substantially the same instance in time, and
• wherein the first station receives the individual reply telegrams from all of the second stations and the last station one after another within a single communication cycle that ends when the first station receives the reply telegram from the last station such that the first station transmits a separate data telegram to, and receives a reply telegram from, each of the second stations and the last station in one communication cycle.