What is OpenIPC Companion?

Companion is the official cross-platform configuration tool for OpenIPC cameras, built with Avalonia UI. It connects to a camera or a Radxa ground station over SSH and lets you configure WFB-NG, camera settings, telemetry, apply presets and update firmware.

How is Companion different from the Multiconfigurator?

It is the same app under a new name. The official configurator was called OpenIPC Config (the community calls it the multiconfigurator) and was renamed to Companion — since v0.7.14 the release files are named Companion-*, and the openipc-configurator repository redirects to OpenIPC/companion.

What password does Companion need to connect to a camera?

Companion always connects as the root user — you only enter the password. On stock OpenIPC firmware it is 12345 and the SSH port is 22.

Can I back up firmware with Companion?

Yes. On the Firmware tab, under Backup / Restore, the app dumps every /dev/mtdblock* partition with dd, generates MD5 checksums and downloads a .tar.gz archive to your machine. Restoring from that archive is done in the same place.

Companion fails to connect with a hostname error — what should I do?

Add your device hostname to the DeviceHostnameMapping section of appsettings.json (Windows: %APPDATA%\Local\Companion, macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Companion, Linux: ~/.config).

How do I update OpenIPC firmware with the configurator?

Download Companion (the former OpenIPC multiconfigurator), connect to your device, open the 'Firmware' tab, select your device and start flashing. Make sure the drone has stable power before flashing.

What should I do if the device failed to flash?

If the blue Connect button does not appear within 5 minutes, the flash failed. Follow the UART recovery guide to restore the device.

How do I factory reset OpenIPC without reflashing the firmware?

Run the firstboot command via SSH or terminal. This restores factory settings without reinstalling the firmware.

Companion — the official OpenIPC configurator

Companion is the official cross-platform application for configuring OpenIPC cameras, built with Avalonia UI. It connects to the device over SSH and gives you a GUI for everything you would otherwise edit by hand in config files: WFB-NG parameters, camera settings, telemetry, presets and firmware.

The Companion main window. This screenshot is from an early build — the set of tabs has changed since; see the current list below.

What Companion does:

Camera settings — resolution, frame rate, exposure
Telemetry — real-time metrics (temperature, voltage, signal strength)
Setup wizards — guided device and network configuration
Presets — save and apply ready-made setting bundles
Firmware — updates, plus backup and restore
Cross-platform — Windows, macOS, Linux; Android and iOS builds are in progress

NVR is not supported

Companion does not work with NVRs yet. For NVR support use OpenIPC Config by MarioFPV.

Companion is the "Multiconfigurator"

This is not a separate new app — it is the same official configurator under a new name. It used to be called OpenIPC Config, and the community calls it the "multiconfigurator"; since release v0.7.14 (January 2026) the builds are named Companion-*. The openipc-configurator repository was renamed too, so old links redirect to OpenIPC/companion and open the same releases.

So there is no separate "multiconfigurator" page any more — everything lives here, including the step-by-step camera flashing.

Do not confuse it with OpenIPC Config by MarioFPV — that is a separate tool for NVR and URLLC devices.

What you need

Component	Requirements
Device	A camera running OpenIPC firmware, or a Radxa ground station
Network	Computer and device on the same network (Ethernet, Wi-Fi or USB-NCM)
Access	Working SSH on the device, known IP and root password
OS	Windows, macOS or Linux (x64 or arm64)

Installation

Prebuilt binaries are available on the Companion releases page. You do not need to build from source — just pick the archive for your system.

System	File	How to run
Windows	`Companion-windows-x64.zip` or `Companion-windows-arm64.zip`	Extract the archive and run `Companion.Desktop.exe`
macOS	`Companion-macos-x64.dmg` or `Companion-macos-arm64.dmg`	Mount the `.dmg` and drag Companion.app into Applications
Linux	`Companion-linux-x64.zip` or `Companion-linux-arm64.zip`	Extract and run `./Companion.DesktopApp` (`chmod +x` if needed)

Which archive to pick

arm64 is for Apple Silicon (M1–M4), Windows on ARM and single-board computers. For regular Intel/AMD desktops and laptops, use x64.

Building from source

If you need the latest master or a platform with no prebuilt archive, you will need the .NET SDK 8.0:

bash

git clone https://github.com/OpenIPC/companion.git
cd companion

dotnet build Companion.Desktop/Companion.Desktop.csproj -c Release
dotnet run --project Companion.Desktop/Companion.Desktop.csproj

On Ubuntu/Debian, install the dependencies with:

bash

sudo apt-get install -y dotnet-sdk-8.0 dotnet-runtime-8.0

Android

An Android build exists but is still alpha. Known issue: when working through a tunnel on Radxa the app can hang — the developers link this to a command waiting on a broken connection.

Connecting to a device

Companion works over SSH and always connects as root — there is no username field, only a password.

Power on the camera (or Radxa) and make sure it is reachable, e.g. ping 192.168.1.10
Launch Companion
Fill in the fields at the top of the window:
- IP Address — the device address (typically 192.168.1.10 for a camera)
- Port — the SSH port, 22 by default
- Password — the root password (12345 on stock OpenIPC firmware)
Pick the device type with the radio buttons: Camera or Radxa
Click Connect

Don't know the camera's IP

The app has a built-in network scanner that sweeps the subnet and lists the OpenIPC devices it finds. Used addresses are cached, so next time you can just pick the IP from the list.

Application tabs

Which tabs you get depends on the device type you selected when connecting.

Camera

Tab	Purpose
WFB	WFB-NG parameters: channel, bandwidth, TX power, encryption key
Camera	Video settings: resolution, FPS, bitrate, codec, exposure
Telemetry	Telemetry and OSD settings: port, UART baud rate, protocol
Setup	Device and network setup wizards, maintenance operations
Firmware	Firmware updates, backup and restore
Preferences	Settings for the app itself

Radxa (ground station)

Tab	Purpose
WFB	WFB-NG parameters on the ground station side
Setup	Ground station setup wizard
Preferences	App settings

Firmware Focused Mode

In Preferences you can enable Firmware Focused Mode — this hides every tab except Firmware and Preferences. Handy when you only use Companion as a flashing tool.

Below the main window there is a log panel you can drag open by the splitter. It shows the actual SSH commands and errors, so it is the first place to look whenever something goes wrong.

Flashing a camera

The most common reason to open the configurator.

If you only need a settings reset

When you do not need a firmware update but only a full factory reset, run the firstboot command on the device (over SSH or in a terminal). It restores factory settings without reinstalling the firmware.

Make sure you have a stable connection to the device (Air Unit) — see Connecting to a device above
Open the Firmware tab and select your device — manufacturer, model and firmware type

The Firmware tab (screenshot from v0.7.2). There are three ways to pick firmware — automatically by manufacturer and model (recommended), from the image list, or from a local file.

Warning!

Always check the drone's power supply quality before starting the flash process!
If power is cut during flashing you may brick your device.

Wait a few minutes until a ping to the device appears (the blue Connect button in the configurator)
If no connection appears within 5 minutes — the device did not flash. Proceed to the recovery guide: General UART Flashing Guide

Back up before flashing

A backup of the stock firmware takes a few minutes and saves you from most failed experiments.

Presets

A preset is a ready-made bundle of settings (channel, TX power, camera parameters) applied in one click. The official collection lives in the OpenIPC/fpv-presets repository.

The Presets tab is temporarily hidden

Up to v0.7.15 presets had their own tab (you can still see it in screenshots of older builds), but it was hidden in January 2026: the preset mechanism is being redesigned and the format and behaviour will still change. In current releases you cannot apply a preset from the app — the format below is documented for the future.

Each preset is a self-contained folder with a preset-config.yaml file:

yaml

name: "High Power FPV"
author: "OpenIPC"
description: "Optimized settings for high-power FPV."
sensor: "milos-sensor.bin"
files:
  wfb.yaml:
    wireless.txpower: "30"
    wireless.channel: "161"
  majestic.yaml:
    fpv.enabled: "true"
    system.logLevel: "info"

What it defines:

Metadata — name, author, description, category
files — which files on the device to change and which keys to overwrite in them
sensor — an optional sensor binary to transfer to the device

Preset folder structure:

presets/
├── high_power_fpv/
│   ├── preset-config.yaml
│   ├── sensor/
│       └── milos-sensor.bin

The mechanism: the app scans the presets/ directory, parses each preset-config.yaml and builds from it the list of modifications to apply to the device. To contribute your own preset, submit a pull request to fpv-presets.

Firmware backup

This is Companion's most valuable feature: before experimenting with anything, take a full dump of the camera's flash.

On the Firmware tab, expand Backup / Restore and start a backup. The app will:

Kill the streamer and other large processes to free RAM
Dump every /dev/mtdblock* partition using dd
Generate MD5 checksums for every .bin file
Package it all into a .tar.gz archive and download it to your machine

Inside the archive:

backup-<chiptype>-<timestamp>/
  mtdblock0.bin   # bootloader (U-Boot)
  mtdblock1.bin   # bootloader environment
  mtdblock2.bin   # kernel
  mtdblock3.bin   # rootfs
  mtdblock4.bin   # rootfs_data (user settings)
  md5sums.txt     # checksums

Partition names and count vary by SoC. The rootfs_data partition holds your settings — restoring it overwrites anything you changed after the backup was made.

Partition reference

Partition	Device node	Contents
boot	`/dev/mtd0`	U-Boot bootloader
env	`/dev/mtd1`	U-Boot environment variables
kernel	`/dev/mtd2`	Linux kernel (uImage)
rootfs	`/dev/mtd3`	Root filesystem (SquashFS)
rootfs_data	`/dev/mtd4`	Overlay with user config

Layout and numbering vary by SoC and vendor. Always verify against /proc/mtd on your specific device before flashing.

Firmware restore

Destructive operation

Restoring firmware is an irreversible operation. Flashing incorrect data or losing power mid-flash can permanently brick your device. Proceed only if you understand the risks and have a verified backup.

With Companion (recommended)

This works as long as the device still boots and is reachable over SSH.

Open the Firmware tab → Backup / Restore
Check "I accept the risk of permanently bricking this device"
Click Restore from Backup and select your .tar.gz archive
Confirm the warning dialog

The app then extracts the archive, verifies the MD5 checksums locally, reads /proc/mtd from the device to confirm the partition layout, uploads and flashcps each partition in order, and reboots the device. If checksum verification fails, the restore is aborted before anything is written to the device.

Manually over SSH

If you cannot use the app but the device is still SSH-accessible:

bash

# 1. Extract the backup archive
tar -xzf backup-<chiptype>-<timestamp>.tar.gz
cd backup-<chiptype>-<timestamp>

# 2. Verify checksums
md5sum -c md5sums.txt

# 3. Copy partitions to the device
scp mtdblock*.bin root@<device-ip>:/tmp/

# 4. Flash each partition
ssh root@<device-ip>

flashcp -v /tmp/mtdblock0.bin /dev/mtd0   # bootloader
flashcp -v /tmp/mtdblock1.bin /dev/mtd1   # env
flashcp -v /tmp/mtdblock2.bin /dev/mtd2   # kernel
flashcp -v /tmp/mtdblock3.bin /dev/mtd3   # rootfs
flashcp -v /tmp/mtdblock4.bin /dev/mtd4   # rootfs_data

reboot

flashcp only

flashcp erases and writes atomically. Do not use dd to write back to MTD partitions — it does not erase first. Match the partition numbers to your device's actual /proc/mtd layout.

To flash only the kernel and rootfs, leaving the bootloader and settings intact:

bash

flashcp -v /tmp/mtdblock2.bin /dev/mtd2
flashcp -v /tmp/mtdblock3.bin /dev/mtd3
reboot

If the device won't boot

When the kernel or rootfs is corrupted and Linux cannot start, hardware routes remain:

Via U-Boot and TFTP — requires a UART adapter and a TFTP server. Flash addresses and partition sizes depend on your exact SoC, so follow the general UART flashing guide.
From an SD card — on SigmaStar and Ingenic the bootloader initialises the SD card itself and looks for a boot.scr script on it, so recovery is possible without UART.
Corrupted bootloader (mtd0) — the device produces no serial output and cannot be recovered in software. You need a hardware programmer (e.g. CH341A) wired directly to the SPI NOR chip.

Config files and logs

The app stores its own settings in appsettings.json — update checks, logging, device hostname mappings and preset repositories are configured there.

System	`appsettings.json`	Logs
Windows	`%APPDATA%\Local\Companion\appsettings.json`	`%APPDATA%\Local\Companion\Logs`
macOS	`$HOME/Library/Application Support/Companion/appsettings.json`	`$HOME/Library/Application Support/Companion/Logs`
Linux	`~/.config/appsettings.json`	`~/.config/companion.log`
Android	—	`/data/user/0/org.openipc.Companion/files/.config/companion.log`

Logging is configured through Serilog — see the configuration reference.

Troubleshooting

Hostname error when connecting

Companion identifies the device type by its hostname. If yours is not on the list, add it to the DeviceHostnameMapping section of appsettings.json:

json

"DeviceHostnameMapping": {
  "Camera": [
    "openipc-ssc338q",
    "openipc-ssc30kq"
  ],
  "Radxa": [
    "radxa",
    "raspberrypi"
  ],
  "NVR": [
    "openipc-hi3536dv100"
  ]
}

Won't connect at all

✅ The device responds to ping from your computer
✅ The IP and port are correct (22 by default)
✅ The root password is correct (12345 on stock firmware)
✅ The right device type is selected (Camera / Radxa)
✅ Check the log panel at the bottom of the window — the SSH error text will be there

macOS won't launch the app

Update to the latest release: v0.9.4 fixed startup of the signed app on macOS by adding .NET entitlements.

Android hangs

A known issue in the alpha build when working through a tunnel on Radxa. Use the desktop version for now.

Useful links

Companion on GitHub — source, issues, documentation
Companion releases — prebuilt binaries for all platforms
Demo on YouTube — a walkthrough of the app
fpv-presets — the official preset collection
Flashing via UART — recovering a device that won't boot
Firmware update (sysupgrade) — the same thing by hand from the terminal
WFB-NG configuration — what the WFB tab parameters actually change

Companion — the official OpenIPC configurator ​

What you need ​

Installation ​

Building from source ​

Android ​

Connecting to a device ​

Application tabs ​

Camera ​

Radxa (ground station) ​

Flashing a camera ​

Presets ​

Firmware backup ​

Partition reference ​

Firmware restore ​

With Companion (recommended) ​

Manually over SSH ​

If the device won't boot ​

Config files and logs ​

Troubleshooting ​

Useful links ​

Companion — the official OpenIPC configurator

What you need

Installation

Building from source

Android

Connecting to a device

Application tabs

Camera

Radxa (ground station)

Flashing a camera

Presets

Firmware backup

Partition reference

Firmware restore

With Companion (recommended)

Manually over SSH

If the device won't boot

Config files and logs

Troubleshooting

Useful links