A function generator produces selectable electrical waveforms such as sine, square or triangular signals for testing circuits. Frequency, amplitude, offset and output impedance specify different aspects of the delivered signal. A source calibrated for a matched load can produce a different terminal amplitude when connected to a high-impedance input, so the load convention matters. Finite rise time and bandwidth limit square-wave edges; a mathematically ideal discontinuity is not a physical output. The instrument provides a controlled input for studying a system's response rather than measuring that response itself.
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