Output control for auto-reconnect welding/cutting equipment

An auto-reconnect welding or cutting device capable of accepting multiple electrical input power types, one at a time, and generating a range of selectable output current levels, said device comprising:

• means for generating an output current from a provided input power type;
• a user output current control encoder;
• means for sensing at least one characteristic of said input power type;
• and
• means for re-calibrating a selectable range of said user output current control encoder, in response to said at least one sensed characteristic of said input power type, resulting in no more than about a rated current of a circuit protection component associated with said input power type being able to be drawn by said device when said output current control encoder is set to a maximum full-scale setting of said selectable range.

An auto-reconnect welding or cutting device capable of accepting multiple electrical input power types, one at a time, and generating a range of selectable output current levels, said device comprising:

• a voltage sensing circuit configured to sense a voltage of an applied electrical input power type and to generate a sensed value being representative of a sensed voltage;
• an auto-reconnect circuit operatively connected to said voltage sensing circuit and configured to provide an auto-reconnect capability responsive to said sensed value to accommodate at least two different electrical input power types;
• an output current control encoder providing a user-adjustable current range;
• a programmable component operatively connected to said voltage sensing circuit and said output current control encoder and responsive to an output of said encoder, wherein said programmable component is programmed to re-calibrate said user-adjustable current range of said output current control encoder in response to said sensed voltage value resulting in no more than about a rated current of a circuit protection component associated with said applied input power type being able to be drawn by said device when said output current control encoder is set to a maximum full-scale setting of said user-adjustable current range.