diff --git a/docs/PHYSICAL_BENCH_QUICK_START.md b/docs/PHYSICAL_BENCH_QUICK_START.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f0440830
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/PHYSICAL_BENCH_QUICK_START.md
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+# Physical test quick start — DigSubAnalyzer / Process Bus Insight
+
+This folder is included in the **Windows x64 release candidate ZIP** so the bench
+does not need a .NET SDK. Run only on an authorized, isolated engineering process
+bus. The analyzer is **receive-only** and cannot operate or protect an IED.
+
+## 1. Run the desktop application
+
+1. Extract the entire ZIP, not just the EXE, to a local folder.
+2. Install Npcap separately with appropriate raw Ethernet capture rights.
+3. Run `ProcessBusInsight.exe` in the package root.
+4. Select the verified adapter connected to an independent TAP/SPAN (preserve
+   802.1Q tags and multicast). Start capture and select the **canonical** SV
+   stream, not the diagnostic mirror.
+5. Load the actual deployed `.scd`/`.cid`/`.iid` via the SCL workflow.
+6. In **Validation → Inspect PCAP**, select a local classic Ethernet PCAP
+   recording. Read the short verdict; detailed evidence is in the report from
+   the CLI below. For large captures progress/Cancel are supported.
+
+If canonical VLAN multicast traffic is not visible but `AR_DIAG_SV1` is,
+the result is **mirror-only**. This does not prove the injector dropped VLAN
+or ignored SCL; verify TAP/SPAN and NIC filtering. PTP messages observed on
+the NIC do **not** establish clock discipline or lock.
+
+## 2. Screen the same wire recording with the bundled CLI
+
+Open PowerShell in the extracted package directory. Replace file paths with
+files collected on your **own local bench**:
+
+```powershell
+.\Bench\ProcessBus.InteropCli.exe --help
+.\Bench\ProcessBus.InteropCli.exe --pcap "C:\lab\sv-ptp.pcap" --scl "C:\lab\deployed.scd" --max-frames 50000000 --json "C:\lab\interop-report.json"
+```
+
+The bundled CLI is a **self-contained Windows executable**. It parses classic
+Ethernet PCAP, not PCAPNG. Convert PCAPNG to classic PCAP locally without
+losing Ethernet/VLAN headers if necessary. A full 60-minute recording with
+both canonical SV and a mirror may exceed 28 million SV packets alone
+(at 4000 samples/s and nofASDU=1). Use the explicit frame limit or split
+the PCAP into indexed windows; **CAPTURE_INCOMPLETE** must not be recorded as
+a clean acceptance.
+
+Exit codes: **0** screening completed with no failing configured comparison
+(not IED conformance); **3** missing/ambiguous/conflicting/incomplete evidence;
+**2** invalid or unsupported input. For a trustworthy SCL comparison always
+supply `--scl`. The local JSON contains wire MAC and IED identities; do
+**not** upload it or raw SCL/PCAP to a public issue.
+
+## 3. Measure application load and physical truth separately
+
+While the desktop app receives simultaneous 4000/4800-profile SV, diagnostic
+mirror and L2 PTP, record local process metrics:
+
+```powershell
+.\Bench\measure-m4-bench.ps1 -DurationMinutes 60 -IntervalSeconds 5 -ProcessName ProcessBusInsight -OutputPath "C:\lab\m4-process-metrics.csv"
+```
+
+If PowerShell blocks scripts, follow your organization's signed-script policy;
+do not turn off system-wide execution protection for this task. Collect
+Npcap capture-driver/interface drops and ARStack device TX failure/missed-slot
+telemetry separately; a zero `smpCnt` gap count does not prove zero wire loss.
+
+Before any **physical acceptance** claim, independently verify:
+
+- Canonical APPID/MAC/VLAN/PCP/svID/confRev/nofASDU/layout and 4000/4800
+  cadence with the actual deployed SCL and applicable counter policy;
+- `AR_DIAG_SV1` (broadcast, APPID 0x4F01) remains a separate debug stream;
+- PTP Announce/Sync/Follow_Up/peer-delay and sync flags remain observed facts,
+  not unmeasured lock or precision claims;
+- 60-minute concurrent stability, driver drops, resource behavior and IED
+  subscriber acceptance with qualified bench equipment.
+
+The detailed step-by-step sign-off matrix is in
+`Bench/M4_ARSTACK_INTEROP_ACCEPTANCE.md`. Record the candidate artifact run
+ID and checksums with your evidence. This candidate is not a stable/certified
+release and provides no switching, control or protection-action authority.
diff --git a/scripts/publish-windows-portable.ps1 b/scripts/publish-windows-portable.ps1
index 6be03e71..b2305baf 100644
--- a/scripts/publish-windows-portable.ps1
+++ b/scripts/publish-windows-portable.ps1
@@ -81,6 +81,33 @@ if ($singleFile) {
     Copy-Item (Join-Path $publishDir "*") $appStageDir -Recurse -Force
 }
 
+# Physical acceptance needs a reproducible capture-vs-SCL inspector, not only
+# a Windows UI EXE. Publish the existing read-only CLI self-contained into a
+# separate tools folder; never stage raw PCAP/SCL or customer identities.
+$interopProject = Join-Path $repoRoot "tools/ProcessBus.InteropCli/ProcessBus.InteropCli.csproj"
+$interopPublishDir = Join-Path $repoRoot "$OutputRoot/publish/$portableName/interop-cli"
+$interopStageDir = Join-Path $stageDir "Bench"
+New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $interopStageDir -Force | Out-Null
+dotnet restore $interopProject -r $Runtime /p:ContinuousIntegrationBuild=true
+if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw "Interop CLI runtime-specific restore failed." }
+$interopPublishArgs = @(
+    "publish", $interopProject, "--no-restore", "-c", $Configuration,
+    "-r", $Runtime, "-o", $interopPublishDir,
+    "/p:Version=$Version", "/p:VersionPrefix=$versionPrefix", "/p:VersionSuffix=$versionSuffix",
+    "/p:PublishSingleFile=true", "/p:IncludeNativeLibrariesForSelfExtract=true",
+    "/p:EnableCompressionInSingleFile=true", "/p:PublishTrimmed=false",
+    "/p:DebugType=None", "/p:DebugSymbols=false",
+    "/p:ErrorOnDuplicatePublishOutputFiles=true", "--self-contained", "true"
+)
+dotnet @interopPublishArgs
+if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw "Interop CLI publish failed." }
+$interopExe = Join-Path $interopPublishDir "ProcessBus.InteropCli.exe"
+if (-not (Test-Path $interopExe)) { throw "Interop CLI publish produced no executable." }
+Copy-Item $interopExe (Join-Path $interopStageDir "ProcessBus.InteropCli.exe") -Force
+Copy-Item (Join-Path $repoRoot "docs/M4_ARSTACK_INTEROP_ACCEPTANCE.md") (Join-Path $interopStageDir "M4_ARSTACK_INTEROP_ACCEPTANCE.md") -Force
+Copy-Item (Join-Path $repoRoot "scripts/measure-m4-bench.ps1") (Join-Path $interopStageDir "measure-m4-bench.ps1") -Force
+Copy-Item (Join-Path $repoRoot "docs/PHYSICAL_BENCH_QUICK_START.md") (Join-Path $interopStageDir "START_HERE.md") -Force
+
 $packageReadme = @"
 Process Bus Insight / DigSubAnalyzer
 Windows portable package
@@ -91,6 +118,10 @@ Community license: GPL-3.0-or-later
 2. Extract this ZIP to a local folder.
 3. Run $AppName.exe.
 4. Use an authorized TAP, mirror port, or isolated engineering test network.
+5. For physical SV/PTP test evidence read Bench/START_HERE.md.
+6. Bench/ProcessBus.InteropCli.exe works offline and does not need the .NET SDK.
+7. Bench/measure-m4-bench.ps1 records local process CPU/memory during a bench run.
+   A diagnostic broadcast mirror does NOT prove the canonical VLAN SV path.
 
 Included legal documents:
 LICENSE.txt, NOTICE.txt, COMMERCIAL-LICENSE.md, COPYRIGHT.md, TRADEMARK.md,
diff --git a/scripts/verify-release-package.ps1 b/scripts/verify-release-package.ps1
index 6398a046..6845680d 100644
--- a/scripts/verify-release-package.ps1
+++ b/scripts/verify-release-package.ps1
@@ -24,7 +24,11 @@ try {
         "COPYRIGHT.md",
         "TRADEMARK.md",
         "THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md",
-        "Licensing.md"
+        "Licensing.md",
+        "Bench/ProcessBus.InteropCli.exe",
+        "Bench/M4_ARSTACK_INTEROP_ACCEPTANCE.md",
+        "Bench/START_HERE.md",
+        "Bench/measure-m4-bench.ps1"
     )
     foreach ($relative in $required) {
         if (-not (Test-Path (Join-Path $temp $relative))) {
@@ -68,6 +72,24 @@ try {
         throw "Package verification failed. Expected exactly one root EXE: $AppName.exe. Found: $names"
     }
 
+    # The GUI remains the only ROOT executable. A separate, self-contained
+    # read-only inspector is required so field users can screen their actual
+    # PCAP+SCL evidence without installing the developer SDK.
+    $interopExe = Join-Path $temp "Bench/ProcessBus.InteropCli.exe"
+    if ((Get-Item $interopExe).Length -lt 1024) {
+        throw "Package verification failed. The interop CLI executable is too small."
+    }
+    $interopHelp = & $interopExe --help 2>&1 | Out-String
+    if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0 -or $interopHelp -notmatch 'offline interop screening') {
+        throw "Package verification failed. Bundled offline interop CLI cannot run --help."
+    }
+    $benchGuide = Get-Content (Join-Path $temp "Bench/START_HERE.md") -Raw
+    foreach ($marker in @('ProcessBus.InteropCli.exe', '60-minute', 'TAP/SPAN', 'AR_DIAG_SV1')) {
+        if ($benchGuide -notmatch [regex]::Escape($marker)) {
+            throw "Package verification failed. Physical bench quickstart is missing: $marker"
+        }
+    }
+
     $size = (Get-Item (Join-Path $temp "$AppName.exe")).Length
     if ($size -lt 1024) { throw "Package verification failed. Executable looks too small: $size bytes" }