A full cycle of the lights involves each direction of vehicle traffic getting a green light once.
In a "scramble", pedestrians would only get one total walk signal per cycle of the lights. In a non-"scramble", pedestrians get multiple walk signals depending on direction, just like vehicles do. For example, if a north-south road intersects an east-west road, in a non-"scramble" there will be one walk signal for pedestrians going east-west who cross the north-south road, and one walk signal for pedestrians going north-south who cross the east-west road. Thus pedestrians would get a total of two walk signals per cycle.
At least in the scramble I've used in Toronto, there's actually 3 walk signals: 1 for each direction (what a regular crosswalk would have) + 1 where you can go in any direction (and all cars face a red signal).
Right -- you also have to consider left-turn cycles when the cross traffic is stopped but pedestrian signals will still be indicating "Don't Walk", and right-turn-on-red where you're counting on drivers seeing you in the crosswalk.
Having one cycle exclusively for pedestrians, where there's no confusion, seems safer.
In a "scramble", pedestrians would only get one total walk signal per cycle of the lights. In a non-"scramble", pedestrians get multiple walk signals depending on direction, just like vehicles do. For example, if a north-south road intersects an east-west road, in a non-"scramble" there will be one walk signal for pedestrians going east-west who cross the north-south road, and one walk signal for pedestrians going north-south who cross the east-west road. Thus pedestrians would get a total of two walk signals per cycle.