Method and apparatus for characterizing a welding output circuit path

A method to characterize, in real time, a welding output circuit path with respect to at least one of a true energy or a true power input to said welding output circuit path, said method comprising:

• establishing a welding output circuit path running from a welding power source through a welding cable to a welding tool, through at least one of a workpiece and to a workpiece connector, and back through said welding cable to said welding power source;
• generating a welding output waveform, within said welding power source, which is transmitted through said welding output circuit path, and wherein said welding output waveform comprises a welding output current component and a welding output voltage component;
• continuously sampling instantaneous output current levels and instantaneous output voltage levels of said welding output waveform within said welding power source at a predefined sample rate;
• generating, within said welding power source, a product of each of said sampled output current levels and said corresponding sampled output voltage levels as part of determining at least one of a true energy output level and a true power output level from said welding power source into said welding output circuit path in real time, whereby said product represents a mathematical multiplying of each of said sampled output current levels with each of said corresponding sampled output voltage levels, and wherein at least one of said true energy output level and said true power output level is determined over a continuously sliding time interval spanning all sampled times from a present sampled time back over a defined number of past sampled times;
• and
• dividing at least one of said true energy output level and said true power output level by a distance traveled by said welding tool during said sliding time interval to calculate at least one of a true energy per unit length and a true power per unit length.