The shape of the pulse wave is defined by its duty cycle D, which is the ratio between the pulse duration (\tau) and the period (T)

A pulse wave or pulse train is a kind of non-sinusoidal waveform that is similar to a square wave, but does not have the symmetrical shape associated with a perfect square wave. It is a term common to synthesizer programming, and is a typical waveform available on many synths. The exact shape of the wave is determined by the duty cycle of the oscillator. The pulse wave is also known as the rectangular wave, the periodic version of the rectangular function.

See also

• Rectangular function
• Sampling function
• Pulse-width modulation
• Sine wave
• Triangle wave
• Square wave