# Help Needed: Connecting P4Runtime Controller to UfiSpace S9180-32X (Tofino)

**URL:** <https://forum.p4.org/t/help-needed-connecting-p4runtime-controller-to-ufispace-s9180-32x-tofino/1320>\
**Category:** Uncategorized\
**Created:** [June 2, 2025, 1:08pm UTC](https://forum.p4.org/t/help-needed-connecting-p4runtime-controller-to-ufispace-s9180-32x-tofino/1320 "2025-06-02T13:08:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![AL-OTU](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@AL-OTU](https://forum.p4.org/u/AL-OTU)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2025, 1:08pm UTC](https://forum.p4.org/t/help-needed-connecting-p4runtime-controller-to-ufispace-s9180-32x-tofino/1320/1 "2025-06-02T13:08:15Z")

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Hi everyone,

I’m currently working with a UfiSpace S9180-32X switch (Tofino-based) and trying to get a Python-based controller.py working over P4Runtime gRPC to manage the switch pipeline.

Current Setup:

```
Switch: UfiSpace S9180-32X (Tofino)

SDE: Barefoot Intel bf-sde-9.13.1

BSP: bf-platforms-ufispace-bsp-9.13.1.tgz (provided by STORDIS)

Pipeline: simple_forward (compiled: tofino.bin, context.json, bf-rt.json)

Controller: Python script using p4runtime_pb2, p4info_pb2, etc.

Protobufs: All required .proto files are compiled using grpc_tools.protoc, including p4types.proto and google/rpc/status.proto

```

What Works:

```
switchd launches successfully and loads the compiled pipeline.

run_switchd.sh confirms that all 4 pipes are initialized.

Controller can reach the switch via IP (ping works) and gRPC port is open.

/dev/bf0 exists and kernel modules are loaded.

```

Current Issue:

Despite all this, the controller fails to connect to the switch via gRPC and cannot push entries. I’ve verified IP-level connectivity and triple-checked the protobuf/gRPC code. On the switch side, I sometimes see platform errors like:

BF\_PLTFM ERROR – Can’t write QSFP XX RST GPI

Which may or may not be related.

What I’ve Tried:

```
Rebuilding with updated BSP from STORDIS

Using both controller.py and example controllers (e.g., PI/P4Runtime shell)

Confirmed protobuf paths and gRPC generation steps

Contacted STORDIS (awaiting deeper insights)

```

What I’m Looking For:

```
Has anyone successfully connected a P4Runtime controller to a S9180-32X switch?

Are there any required configuration steps or common pitfalls (either on the switch or controller side)?

Is there a known working reference controller or setup for this hardware?

```

Any pointers, example setups, or insight would be deeply appreciated!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DavideS](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.p4.org/davides/32/120_2.png) [@DavideS](https://forum.p4.org/u/DavideS)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2025, 2:33pm UTC](https://forum.p4.org/t/help-needed-connecting-p4runtime-controller-to-ufispace-s9180-32x-tofino/1320/2 "2025-06-06T14:33:04Z")

</div>

@AL-OTU

Have you installed a P4Runtime server/agent on your switch, such as Stratum or a custom-built P4Runtime server?