What I meant to say in my earlier post when I said the output should be the same for all models was actually that it should be the same for all platforms, Sys 1, Sys 2, ATS 1 & 2. If your AP platform has the option/capability to output a square wave then I don't know why AP would output a different level square wave from one AP platform to the next. That would defy logic.. With that being said, some companies defy logic as a normal part of their business model.
I agree. It does defy logic. So I think the mystery here is, what is Gen Output vs. what is selected via 'Panels' vs. what the detection front-end (and circuits) are doing on the inputs and if they are reporting as intended. Lots of worms in that can.
Here's what I've gathered so far:
Pre-Access ATS units don't support canned measurements within the standard suite in Square mode. They simply default back to Sine when leaving the 'Panels' menu.
AP confirmed as much and chalked it up to their firmware development path. But it's weird that they go to such great lengths to spec out Square gens - including rise time - when early units do nothing more than put out a square - in a manual mode. So I'm going to guess they weren't done baking that cake...
My unit does in fact does gen Square but only in a static state -
but not in measurement modes. Lee's does (abeit that RMS mish-mash thing going on...) and it's a 2000's build. Mine's 1997. So there's that.
(AP was smart enough to invoke the dual signal thing on IMD so at least they thought that one through...)
And OldPhaser confirms the important fact that anyone interested in doing controlled rise time testing wouldn't be using the gen function of an ATS anyhow.
AP eluded to the same thing yesterday. So really the Square gen stuff only makes sense for anyone testing tuners & amps, where cramming a Square wave down a DUT's throat gives you complex harmonics value.
A Square is a Square is a Square from a gen point of view. All boxes should do the same if spec'd the same.
The real question here that boggles my mind is
what the &^%$ on the detection/measurement side of things...