A particularly simple and simultaneously fail-safe control system has a control computer for interchanging data with at least one peripheral, and at least one further control computer connected to the first-mentioned control computer via a communication channel. The further control computer is configured to assume at least part of the functionality of the control computer. The control computer is designed, in the event of partial failure thereof, to forward data received by the further control computer via the communication channel to the peripheral and/or to forward data received by the peripheral to the further control computer via the communication channel. There is also provided such a control computer and a method for operating a control system.