Abstract: An EtherCAT fieldbus system has an EtherCAT master and a number of EtherCAT slaves. The EtherCAT master and the number of EtherCAT slaves are coupled together by an EtherCAT fieldbus in order to exchange data. A method ascertains active EtherCAT slaves by way of the EtherCAT master; requests respective product codes of the active EtherCAT slaves by way of the master; ascertains a respective device identification of the active EtherCAT slaves from the respective product codes by way of the EtherCAT master, and switches the state of the EtherCAT fieldbus system into the operational state by way of the EtherCAT master if the respective device identification of the active EtherCAT slaves matches a specified device identification.

Abstract: A method is provided for operating a system having a plurality of components which interact with one another. The method stores information relating to the interaction of a respective component with the other components in a respective component.

Abstract: A method operates a field bus system, wherein the field bus system has: a gateway, which has a network connection for a network of a specified type and a fieldbus connection for a fieldbus, and a number of fieldbus nodes, wherein the fieldbus nodes are coupled to each other and to the gateway via the fieldbus for the purpose of data exchange. Addressing takes place in the network of the specified type by network addresses, wherein the network addresses have a first part which designates a destination address, and a second part which designates a port of the destination address. The method comprises the steps of: creating a bus configuration, wherein the bus configuration assigns a destination address to a port, and performing a network address translation using the gateway based on the bus configuration created.