# A port produces a mesh error or appears shorted

Inspect the terminal geometry and the electrical path it actually excites. Check version-specific modelling rules before changing mesh settings.

## Compatibility

8 draft guidance; 6.x/7.x historical outcomes

Published guidance with release-applicability limits. Confirm package applicability before following this guide.

## Inspect the physical contact

1. Show the terminal object, its label and the target conductor together.
2. Check that the terminal clearly intersects the intended conductor and does not depend on an ambiguous edge-only contact.
3. Inspect the generated mesh/geometry near the terminal and read the first error.
4. Check that the two terminals excite the intended distinct electrical locations. If both are connected to the same shorted object, redesign the measurement/return-path model rather than expecting a meaningful branch voltage.

## Keep workarounds versioned

In one legacy case, extending a terminal across the relevant polygon edges removed a zero-length-edge failure. This is a useful geometry check, not a universal solver fix.

Return conductors, shared terminal objects, airbridges and off-chip connections have version-dependent modelling constraints. Use the matching manual and a small test model before applying a workaround to a larger design.

## Sources and verification details

Recorded inputs/builds only. Complete walkthrough and final-package acceptance remain separate.



- support:SUP-007: Generalised editorial finding; outcome qualification retained
- inductex:docs/manual/ix_ports.tex: Port and terminal definitions
- inductex:docs/manual/studio_layout.tex: Layout inspection

- Support history informed this draft. Current-source guidance has been checked; a fresh walkthrough on the intended distributed release and product-owner review remain pending.

## Related guides

- [Port labels exist in the GDS but InductEx® does not find them](/knowledge-base/inductex-label-hierarchy)
- [Adding a process layer breaks a connection or shorts a port](/knowledge-base/inductex-process-connectivity)
- [Prepare a useful support report without exposing a licence or private design](/knowledge-base/support-effective-report)