Patent ID: 8592721

Claim:
A controller for a welding system, configured to: receive an initial sensed parameter while a welding torch tip is shorted to a weld secondary component; determine, based on the initial sensed parameter, an initial value of the initial sensed parameter of the weld secondary component; time stamp the determined initial value of the sensed parameter; store the time stamped determined initial value of the sensed parameter to a memory; receive a second sensed parameter while the welding torch tip is shorted to the weld secondary component; determine, time stamp, and store a second value of the second sensed parameter of the weld secondary component; compare the time stamped determined initial value of the initial sensed parameter to the time stamped determined second value of the second sensed parameter; and alert a user to a presence and location of a weld secondary component error when there is a difference between the initial value of the initial sensed parameter and the second value of the second sensed parameter.