Plasma cutter having microprocessor control

A method of operation, comprising:

• controlling a power converter and at least one component other than the power converter of a plasma cutter unit via a microprocessor, a digital signal processor, or a field programmable gate array, or a combination thereof;
• and
• generating a plasma jet via the plasma cutter unit, wherein the plasma jet has a temperature sufficiently hot to melt a workpiece, and the plasma jet has a pressure sufficiently high to blow away a melted portion of the workpiece.

A system comprising:

• a plasma cutter controller comprising a microprocessor having memory and instructions stored on the memory, wherein the instructions are configured to control a power converter and at least one component other than the power converter of a plasma cutter unit, wherein the at least one component comprises a compressor, a generator, a wire feeder, a motor, a plasma cutting torch, an engine, or a combination thereof, of the plasma cutter unit, the plasma cutter unit is configured to generate a plasma jet, the plasma jet has a temperature sufficiently hot to melt a workpiece, and the plasma jet has a pressure sufficiently high to blow away a melted portion of the workpiece.