1. A safety controller for controlling an automated installation in accordance with a user program, the safety controller comprising: a plurality of control components, wherein at least some of the control components have a data bus interface, with the data bus interface being designed to receive and to send data, a data bus connecting the plurality of control components via said data bus interfaces for the purpose of interchanging data, a programming tool for generating the user program, and a configuration interface designed to receive configuration data, wherein the configuration data determine at least one characteristic of at least one data bus interface, and wherein said configuration data is ascertained on the basis of association data generated by the programming tool.