Square Wave

A waveform with near-instantaneous transitions between its high and low states, producing the sharpest possible field changes per pulse. Square waves maximize slew rate because the field rises and falls as quickly as the hardware allows, generating the strongest induced electric field in tissue for a given peak Gauss. This makes square waveforms the most effective shape for biological stimulation when slew rate is the priority. Achieving a true square wave requires fast switching components and careful circuit design to control ringing and overshoot at the transitions. A square drive is almost never measured as a square field: the coil rounds its edges on the way to the probe, so the report typically classifies it as a sine or a sawtooth. See Waveform Type.