Troubleshooting
Solutions for common issues when using NovyWave.
Application Won’t Start
Section titled “Application Won’t Start”White Screen on Launch
Section titled “White Screen on Launch”Symptoms: Application window opens but shows only white/blank content.
Solutions:
- Windows: Ensure WebView2 runtime is installed
- Linux: Install WebKit dependencies:
Terminal window sudo apt-get install libwebkit2gtk-4.1-0 - Check that antivirus isn’t blocking the application
Crash on Startup
Section titled “Crash on Startup”Possible causes: Corrupted configuration file or missing system libraries.
Solutions:
- Delete the configuration file and restart:
Terminal window rm ~/.config/novywave/.novywave # Linux - Run from terminal to see error messages:
Terminal window novywave
File Loading Issues
Section titled “File Loading Issues”Unsupported File Format
Section titled “Unsupported File Format”Ensure the file has a correct extension (.vcd, .fst, .ghw) and isn’t truncated or corrupted. Try opening in another viewer to verify file integrity.
File Loads but Shows No Signals
Section titled “File Loads but Shows No Signals”- Expand the file tree in Files & Scopes panel
- Click the checkbox next to a scope that contains signals
- Use the search in Variables panel to find specific signals
Loading Never Completes
Section titled “Loading Never Completes”- Check terminal for error messages
- Try a smaller file to verify NovyWave works
- Convert VCD to FST for faster loading:
Terminal window vcd2fst input.vcd output.fst
Display Issues
Section titled “Display Issues”Signals Show “N/A”
Section titled “Signals Show “N/A””The cursor is outside the file’s time range. Press R to reset the view to the full timeline, or move the cursor within the file’s time span.
Values Show “X”, “Z”, or “U”
Section titled “Values Show “X”, “Z”, or “U””These are valid signal states, not errors:
| Display | Meaning |
|---|---|
| X | Unknown/undefined value |
| Z | High-impedance (floating) |
| U | Uninitialized |
These typically occur at simulation start or with tri-state signals.
Waveform Display is Blank
Section titled “Waveform Display is Blank”- Check that variables are selected (clicked in Variables panel)
- Press
Rto reset zoom to full timeline - Check cursor position is within file’s time range
Performance Issues
Section titled “Performance Issues”Slow Loading
Section titled “Slow Loading”For large files, consider using FST format instead of VCD. FST files are 10-100x smaller and faster to load.
Sluggish Navigation
Section titled “Sluggish Navigation”- Reduce the number of selected variables
- Close unused waveform files
- Check system resource usage
Configuration Problems
Section titled “Configuration Problems”Settings Not Saving
Section titled “Settings Not Saving”Check that the config directory exists and is writable, verify disk space, and look for error messages in the terminal.
Wrong Settings Restored
Section titled “Wrong Settings Restored”Check for a .novywave file in the current directory — project-local config takes priority over global settings. Remove it to use global settings:
rm .novywave # In project directoryKeyboard Shortcuts Not Working
Section titled “Keyboard Shortcuts Not Working”No Response to Keys
Section titled “No Response to Keys”- Click on the waveform area to defocus any input fields
- Close any open dialogs
- Ensure the NovyWave window has focus
Wrong Key Behavior
Section titled “Wrong Key Behavior”Check for conflicting system keyboard shortcuts or try with a different keyboard layout.
Getting Help
Section titled “Getting Help”If these solutions don’t resolve your issue:
- Check existing issues: GitHub Issues
- Open a new issue with: NovyWave version, operating system, steps to reproduce, and error messages from terminal
- Ask questions: GitHub Discussions