What type of signals are used to conduct an SSB two-tone test?

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Two-tone intermodulation testing uses two audio tones that are non-harmonically related and placed inside the transmitter’s modulation bandwidth. Feeding these two tones into the modulator stresses the system’s linearity, causing intermodulation products (sums and differences of the tones) to appear throughout the transmitted spectrum. Because the tones are non-harmonically related, the intermod products don’t align neatly with simple harmonic lines, giving a clearer picture of nonlinear distortions across the band. Keeping the tones within the modulation bandwidth ensures those distortion products show up in the actual SSB signal for measurement. Using the same tone, square waves, or harmonically related tones wouldn’t reveal the same spread of intermod products or would obscure how the transmitter handles simultaneous signals.