I claim:
1. A welding power source capable of receiving a range of input voltages, comprising:
an input rectifier configured to receive an ac input and providing a first dc signal;
a dc voltage stage configured to receive the first dc signal and providing a second dc signal;
an inverter configured to receive the second dc signal and providing a second ac signal and configured to receive at least one control input;
an output transformer configured to receive the second ac signal and providing a third ac signal having a current suitable for welding;
an output circuit configured to receive the third ac signal and providing a welding signal;
a controller configured to provide at least one control signal to the inverter; and
an auxiliary power controller configured to receive a range of input voltages and providing a control power signal to the controller.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary power controller is capable of providing the control power signal at a preselected control signal voltage, regardless of the magnitude of the ac input signal.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, further including an auxiliary transformer with a plurality of primary taps, wherein the auxiliary power controller is in electrical communication with the plurality of primary taps.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dc voltage stage includes a boost circuit.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inverter includes a pulse width modulator.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the range of input voltages is 230 volts to 575 volts.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the output circuit includes a rectifier.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the output circuit includes a cycloconverter.
9. A method of providing a welding current from a range of input voltages, comprising:
rectifying an ac input and providing a first dc signal;
converting the dc signal to a second ac signal;
transforming the second ac signal into a third ac signal having a current suitable for welding; and
receiving the ac input and providing an auxiliary power signal source at a preselected control power signal voltage, regardless of the magnitude of the ac input signal.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of converting the dc signal includes the steps of converting the dc signal to a second dc signal and inverting the second dc signal to provide the second ac signal.
11. The method of claim 9 further including the step of providing control signals to an inverter.
12. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of providing the auxiliary power signal includes the step of transforming the ac input signal.
13. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of converting the first dc signal to a second dc signal includes boosting the voltage of the first dc signal.
14. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of inverting includes the step of pulse width modulating.
15. The method of claim 10 further including the step of rectifying the third ac signal.
16. The method of claim 10 further includes the step of cycloconverting the third ac signal.
17. A welding power source for providing a welding current from a range of input voltages, comprising:
rectifier means for receiving an ac input and providing a first dc signal;
converting means for converting the dc signal to a second ac signal;
transforming means for transforming the second ac signal into a third ac signal having a current suitable for welding;
output means for providing a welding current; and
auxiliary power means for receiving the ac input and providing an auxiliary power signal at a preselected control power signal voltage, regardless of the magnitude of the ac input signal.
18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the means for converting includes means for converting the dc signal to a second dc signal and means for inverting the second dc signal to provide the second ac signal.
19. The apparatus of claim 17 further including means for providing control signals to an inverter.
20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the means for providing the auxiliary power signal includes means for transforming the ac input signal into the auxiliary power signal.
21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the means for converting the dc signal to a second dc signal includes means for boosting the voltage.
22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the means for inverting includes means for pulse width modulating.
23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the output means includes means for rectifying the third ac signal.
24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the output means includes means for cycloconverting the third ac signal.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A method for accessing a Baan server, comprising the steps of: sending data from a Visual Basic program to a Baan server;
receiving the data at the Baan server; and
storing information in the Baan server in response to the received data.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the Visual Basic program is an Active X DLL program.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
accessing the Visual Basic program, which is resident on a server, from a computer over a network link.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein said network link is an Internet.
5. The method of claim 3, wherein said accessing step is accomplished through a web page developed using Active Server Pages (ASP) script.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein said Baan server provides data services for automotive service applications.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein said network link is an Internet.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the Visual Basic program is an Active X DLL program.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein said accessing step is accomplished using a remote network access program.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the remote access program is CITRIX.
11. A system for accessing a Baan server, comprising:
a network server containing a Visual Basic program; and
a Baan server, wherein the Visual Basic program is used to access the Baan server.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein said network server is an Internet server.
13. The system of claim 11, wherein said network server, further contains a web page developed using ASP script, and wherein said web page is used to provide information to said Visual Basic program for accessing said Baan server.
14. The system of claim 11, further comprising:
a computer for accessing said network server.
15. The system of claim 14, wherein said user accesses said network server using a remote network program.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein the remote network program is CITRIX.
17. A system for accessing Baan, comprising:
a computer means for accessing a network server;
a network server means for accessing a Baan server through a Visual Basic program; and
a Baan software means for managing and processing data as directed by the computer means.
18. The system of claim 17, wherein the computer means utilizes an Internet to access the network server.
19. The system of claim 17, wherein the data is automotive data.
20. The system of claim 17, wherein the data is at least one of financial, manufacturing, and distribution data.