Verilog-A read file separated by delays

I want to create a Verilog-A module (intended for Spectre simulations) that will read a stimuli file on some predefined format and apply the stimulis to the outputs.

The input stimuli file format could be like this:

OUT1=1

OUT2=0

OUT1=0

OUT2=0

In the above file, the intention is to initially set OUT1/2 to some well-defined value and then change them 25 time units (ps in this case) later. I create the file myself (in another tool) and the format is not fixed in any sense, but the basic concept is, that it should include both timing and signal/value information.

 I've been trying to create this Verilog-A module, but I got stuck while trying to create the time delay. Below is my Verilog-A code so far. After some initial setup, the idea is that I run a check at each time unit step (~1ps). If a delay counter is higher than 0, then I count it down, if not: then I read the file (and potentially changes the delay counter when "#=250" is read).

When simulated 500ps in Spectre,  the last to output assignments are never effectuated. According to my debugging, it seems that the file pointer has reached EOF when exiting the inner loop. But I do not understand this, and I cannot see any alternative implementation to avoid this problem - any suggestions for a way through this?

 -----------

 module vloga_component(vdd1v2,out1, out2);
   output out1;
   electrical out1;
   output out2;
   electrical out2;
   input  vdd1v2;
   electrical vdd1v2;
   
   parameter string fileString = "/tmp/default" ;

   integer   fd;
   integer   testint1,testint2;
   integer   out1var,out2var;
   
   string signalName;
   integer   signalVal;
   integer   delayCounter;
   
   analog
     begin
    // THIS BLOCK IS FOR FILE READING:
    @(initial_step)
      begin
         delayCounter = 0;
         fd = $fopen(fileString, "r");
      end // @ (initial_step)
    @(timer(0,1e-12))
      begin
         if(delayCounter>0)
           begin
          // PART OF LOOP WHERE THE DELAY IS IMPLEMENTED
          delayCounter = delayCounter-1;
          $display("Remaining delay: %d ps", delayCounter);
           end
         else
           begin
          // PART OF LOOP WHERE THE FILE IS READ
          while (delayCounter==0 && (!$feof(fd)))
            begin
                    testint1 = $fscanf(fd, "%s=%d", signalName, signalVal);
               case(signalName)
             "#" :
             begin
                $display("WE GOT A MATCH: %s = %d ; TEST2=%d",signalName,signalVal,testint1);
                $display("Delay: %d ps", signalVal);
                delayCounter=signalVal;
             end
             "OUT1" :
               begin
                  $display("WE GOT A MATCH: %s = %d ; TEST2=%d",signalName,signalVal,testint1);
                  out1var = signalVal;
               end
             "OUT2" :
               begin
                  $display("WE GOT A MATCH: %s = %d ; TEST2=%d",signalName,signalVal,testint1);
                  out2var = signalVal;
               end
             default $strobe("Error. Too weird: %s", signalName);
               endcase // case(signalName)
               
            end
          
           end // else: !if(delayCounter>0)
      end
    V(out1) <+ transition(out1var,0,1e-12);
    V(out2) <+ transition(out2var,0,1e-12);

     end

   
endmodule
-----------

 Best regards,

Kenneth