search_signals
Find full hierarchical signal paths in FSDB/VCD waveform files by keyword, with port direction and type metadata for filtering. Batch multiple keyword lookups in one call to speed up debugging.
Instructions
Search for signals in a waveform file (FSDB/VCD) and return full hierarchical paths. Use this when the client knows a leaf signal name but not the full path. keyword accepts a single string OR a list of strings: pass a list to batch several lookups in one call (one result entry per keyword, in input order) instead of issuing consecutive single-keyword searches. Each result also carries direction (input/output/inout/implicit/...) and var_type (wire/reg/integer/real/parameter/memory/...), so callers can filter by port direction or language type within a scope by combining a hierarchical keyword with these fields — no separate listing tool is needed. Note: VCD format does not encode port direction; direction is always null for VCD waves, while var_type is populated. FSDB populates both. FSDB search uses a scope-tree index and does not read value changes, so it scales well to large files. FSDB support depends on fsdb_runtime.enabled returned by get_sim_paths.
Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| keyword | Yes | Signal keyword (for example s_bits, clk, or data), or a list of keywords (max 16) to batch several lookups in one call — prefer the list form over consecutive single-keyword calls | |
| wave_path | Yes | Absolute path to the waveform file | |
| max_results | No | Maximum number of matches to return. Default: 50 |