A method and a data bus subscriber are described for processing process data in a local bus, in particular a ring bus, the method including receiving a first symbol during a first number of working cycles, with the first symbol comprising first process data; loading at least one first instruction from an instruction list during the first number of working cycles, receiving a second symbol during a second number of working cycles, with the second symbol comprising second process data, processing the first process data contained in the first symbol with the at least one loaded first instruction during the second number of working cycles, and loading at least one second instruction for processing the second process data of the second symbol during the second number of working cycles.