NovyWave

Open-source waveform viewer for VCD, FST, and GHW files. Desktop app first, with a browser mode when needed.

Features

Multi-File Comparison

Load multiple waveform files in one session and compare signals across regression runs, design variants, or separate parts of the system.

Analog Signals

Real-valued signals are automatically rendered as continuous waveform traces with auto-scaling — no manual format switching needed.

WASD Navigation

WASD-style controls make zooming and panning fast, with built-in shortcuts for cursor movement and jumping between signal transitions.

Desktop First

Native apps for Linux, macOS, and Windows are the main path. There is also a browser mode when running NovyWave locally or on another machine.

WebAssembly Plugins

Live-reload waveforms and auto-discover new dump files with built-in plugins — or build your own.

Quick Links

Installation Download NovyWave for Linux, macOS, or Windows

Quick Start Load your first waveform in under 5 minutes

Interface Guide Understand panels, workflow, cursor, and zoom concepts

Tutorials Step-by-step guides for common workflows and HDL examples

Build from Source Set up a local development environment for NovyWave

What’s New in v0.2.0

Signal Groups

Organize selected signals into named, collapsible groups.

Named Markers

Add labeled bookmarks on the timeline. Press M to create, 1-9 to jump.

Chrome Launcher

A lightweight alternative that opens NovyWave in Chrome’s app mode — no WebKitGTK needed.

Row Resizing

Drag dividers between signal rows to customize display height.

Who is NovyWave For?

Whether you are debugging a counter that refuses to count, comparing regression runs across design variants, or just getting started with digital logic — NovyWave is built to make waveform inspection faster and more intuitive.

Hardware engineers verifying digital designs and tracking down simulation bugs
Students learning HDL simulation and exploring how signals change over time
Hobbyists building FPGA projects who want a modern alternative to GTKWave
Researchers analyzing large simulation datasets across multiple files

What This Site Covers

End-user installation and workflow guides
Practical tutorials using real HDL examples
Development setup and architecture notes
Internal protocol and data-type reference for contributors

Funding

This project is funded through NGI Zero Core, a fund established by NLnet with financial support from the European Commission’s Next Generation Internet program. Learn more at the NLnet project page.

License

NovyWave is open source software, released under the MIT License.