Companion 0.11.0 – right-click reset, window placement, multi-function list after a restart

What's new

Right-click: back to the recognized stratagem

• A right-click on a tile you set by hand in the Overview puts just that slot back to the stratagem the recognition had there; your other choices by hand stay. The tooltip of such a tile shows what it goes back to.
• The Companion stores the recognized stratagems with your choice by hand, so this also works after a restart.
• A swap is undone as well. Resetting the last choice by hand is the same as Back to recognized.

The window remembers where it was

• Position, size and the maximized state of the main window are restored at the next start, also on a second monitor.
• If that monitor is no longer connected, the window opens centered as before.

Multi-function list after a restart

• The mission stratagems detected in the last loadout now stay in the multi-function list after you restart the Companion (or replug the Hellboard), together with your fixed list – as the overview already showed. The four stratagem slots of the board are not changed.

No firmware update needed.

Companion 0.10.0 – Hellpod animation instead of the LED flash

What changed

Firmware 2.2.0: Hellpod animation as confirmation (decision F17)

• When a loadout arrives (and after Set as default / Save configuration on the Hellboard), a Hellpod slams into the ground on the display instead of the LED flash. 0.5 s, about 29 frames per second.
• Two variants: horizontal (default, flies in from the right, only in the blue part of the display) and vertical (falls from the top). The ground is shown in section, so the buried pod stays visible.
• A new transfer restarts the animation at once – no waiting while loadouts are sent in quick succession.
• With Flash the LEDs all LEDs now flash white; errors always flash red, whatever is selected.
• The animation does not block: one frame per main-loop pass; ground and pod are pre-rendered (Firmware/libs/hellpod.py). I2C to the display is now set to 400 kHz explicitly (the SSD1306 specification).

Horizontal (default)	Vertical

Companion

• Hellboard → Configuration → Confirmation: Hellpod animation – horizontal (default), Hellpod animation – vertical, Flash the LEDs white.
• Compatible both ways: firmware before 2.2 ignores the new key and keeps flashing; the Companion keeps the setting when a board does not report it. Install the new firmware from the Hellboard tab (Update Hellboard firmware …).

Other

• Test builds: publish.ps1 -PreRelease test.1 builds 0.10.0-test.1; the update check treats it as older than release 0.10.0 and offers that release.
• Software/tools/hellpod-animation: PC preview (GIFs) and a RAM-only test of the animations on the board.
• Protocol spec (transferFeedback, unknown keys are ignored), root README, decision log F17.
• Version 0.10.0, firmware 2.2.0.

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

Companion 0.9.0 – choose stratagems by hand

What's new

• Choose stratagems by hand. Click a stratagem tile in the Overview and pick the stratagem – with search, categories and your recently used stratagems. It is sent to the Hellboard at once, just like a recognized loadout. This keeps the Hellboard usable when the recognition does not work (e.g. the game window is not found, an unusual resolution or HUD scale, or a brand-new stratagem), and it corrects a single wrongly recognized slot.
• Your correction stays. A choice by hand is kept until the game shows a different loadout – if the same wrong recognition comes again, your correction is not overwritten. Back to recognized drops the choices by hand and sends the recognized loadout again.
• Swap instead of duplicates. Picking a stratagem that is already in another slot swaps the two slots.
• Tiles set by hand are marked set by hand; the history shows one Set by hand entry even if you change several tiles in a row.

Notes

• The multi-function list cannot be edited by hand yet; this is planned for a later version.
• Companion 0.8.0 shows this update at start automatically.

Companion 0.8.0 – stratagems from the Helldivers wiki, update check

What's new

• Stratagem data from the Helldivers wiki. Names, input codes and icons now come from helldivers.wiki.gg. New stratagems and missing codes are picked up automatically (checked at most once a day) – no new release needed.
• Code proposals. If the wiki lists a different code for a known stratagem, the Companion does not change it on its own: the Stratagems tab shows a proposal with Take over wiki code or Keep current code.
• Shorter names on the Hellboard. The Hellboard and the Overview tab show the short name without the model prefix (e.g. "Cremator" instead of "B/FLAM-80 Cremator"); the other tabs show the full name. Shorter names reach the board itself with the next firmware update.
• Better recognition. The icons used for recognition come from the wiki as well and match the game more closely – Bastion MK XVI is now recognized without a reference image.
• Update check. At start the Companion looks for a newer version and offers to open the download page. Started with only the tray icon, Windows shows a notification first. You can skip a version or turn the check off in Settings → General.

Notes

• On the first start the Companion downloads the stratagem icons from the wiki (internet connection needed); the old icon cache is removed afterwards.
• From this release on, Companion releases are tagged vX.Y.Z_companion.

A big thank you to the editors of the Helldivers Wiki – their stratagem pages are the foundation of the stratagem catalog (content under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).

Companion 0.7.0 – Windows 10 & HDR, start and close settings

What's new

Works on Windows 10 and with HDR

• Readable in light mode: the Companion now always uses its dark design – with Windows set to light mode, the text used to be black on the dark background.
• Game detection: on some PCs the game was stuck at "Helldivers 2 starting". The Companion now finds the game window more reliably.
• HDR and 10-bit screens: the captured image used to show garbled colors or come out far too bright, so the loadout screen was not recognized. HDR desktops are now converted using your SDR content brightness setting.

Firmware update of old Hellboards

• Updating a Hellboard that still runs the old firmware failed with "The semaphore timeout period has expired". The Companion now checks such a board only once, so the update gets through. If it still cannot reach the board, it tells you to unplug it, plug it in again and start the update right away.

New settings (Settings → General)

• On start, show: the window (new default) or only the tray icon.
• Close button (X): keep running in the tray (as before) or exit the Companion.

Stratagems

• Cremator: input code confirmed in the game.

Downloads

• HellboardCompanion-0.7.0-setup.exe – installer (recommended); installs over older versions
• HellboardCompanion-0.7.0-win-x64.zip – portable version

No firmware update needed if your Hellboard already runs firmware 2.1.1.

Thanks to everyone who tested on Windows 10!

Companion 0.6.0 – UI polish

What's new

A fresh look

• New window background in Helldivers 2 style: a fine hex grid, a faint yellow glow and hazard stripes along the bottom edge. It adapts to every window size.

Clearer status at the top of the overview

• Game, recognition and Hellboard each show a short status with a small detail line below, e.g. "Firmware outdated – COM8 · 2.0.0 → 2.1.1".
• In a narrow window the entries move to the next line instead of overlapping. Hover over an entry to see the full text.

Multi-function button

• The list shows where each entry comes from: Fixed list (your settings) and Detected (found on the loadout screen), each in its own frame. Long lists wrap.

Recognize loadout now

• The button only appears while Helldivers 2 is running (and is disabled while the game is minimized); the tray menu entry behaves the same.
• The hotkey without the game now tells you "Helldivers 2 is not running".

Downloads

• HellboardCompanion-0.6.0-setup.exe – installer (recommended); installs over 0.5.x and older
• HellboardCompanion-0.6.0-win-x64.zip – portable version

No firmware update needed (Hellboard firmware 2.1.1). Your settings and reference images are kept.

Companion 0.5.0 – recognition fixes and reference images

What's new

More reliable recognition

• Stratagems the game draws slightly differently from their icon are now recognized: the Guard Dog family, the shield backpacks (Shield Generator Pack, Ballistic Shield, Directional Shield), the minefields and the Warp Pack.
• Orbital Precision Strike is no longer confused with SEAF Artillery – mission-only stratagems are not compared in the player slots any more.
• Icons that are still unclear are reported as "not recognized" instead of being taken for a similar stratagem.

Reference images (new)

Some stratagems look different in the game than in the icon set – e.g. EAT-17 and EAT-411 show a small badge, and the Bastion MK XVI icon is wrong in the icon repository. For these:

1. Open the History tab and find the "Stratagem not recognized" entry.
2. Choose the right stratagem under This is … and click Use as reference.

From then on the stratagem is recognized, and the overview shows the image from the game. The picture is stored only on your PC (%LOCALAPPDATA%\HellboardCompanion\references). The Stratagems tab shows which stratagems have reference images (filter Only with reference) and can remove them.

Downloads

• HellboardCompanion-0.5.0-setup.exe – installer (recommended); installs over 0.4.x
• HellboardCompanion-0.5.0-win-x64.zip – portable version

No firmware update needed (Hellboard firmware 2.1.1).

Companion 0.4.1 – installer

Hellboard Companion 0.4.1 – installer

This release adds an installer. The app itself works the same as 0.4.0, and the Hellboard firmware stays at 2.1.1, so you don't need to update your board.

Download

Choose one:

• HellboardCompanion-0.4.1-setup.exe (recommended): run it and choose Install for me only (no administrator rights) or Install for all users. It creates a Start menu entry and optionally a desktop icon. Future versions install over it.
• HellboardCompanion-0.4.1-win-x64.zip: unzip it anywhere and start HellboardCompanion.exe, as before.

No .NET runtime is needed either way. Windows SmartScreen may warn that the app is from an unknown publisher; choose More info → Run anyway.

New

• Installer built with Inno Setup:
  • Choice between per-user and all-users installation.
  • Start menu entry and optional desktop icon.
  • Updates install over older versions; a running Companion is closed first.
  • Uninstall via Settings → Apps also removes the autostart entry. Your settings, own stratagems and logs are kept.

Changed

• Removed two outdated UI properties. There is no visible change.
• Updated the documentation, including a screenshot of the Companion in the repository README.

Updating from 0.4.0

• With the installer: run it. Your settings stay. If you started the Companion with Windows from the unzipped folder, it switches the autostart entry to the installed version on its first start.
• Without the installer: replace the old folder with the new one.

License

Hellboard Companion is licensed under GPL-3.0-or-later. Third-party components are listed in THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.md; the installer is built with Inno Setup (Jordan Russell and Martijn Laan). Hellboard Companion is a fan project and not affiliated with Arrowhead Game Studios or Sony Interactive Entertainment.

Companion 0.4.0 – firmware 2.1.1, better buttons and display

Hellboard Companion 0.4.0 – firmware 2.1.1, better buttons and display

This release includes the new Hellboard firmware 2.1.1 with improved button handling, adjustable key timings and display features. It also fixes a connection bug that affected 0.3.0. Updating is recommended.

Thank you, @JoeGurt!

Many of the firmware improvements in this release are based on the work of @JoeGurt. In 2024 he improved the original Hellboard firmware on his fork: buttons that act once per press, going back with the cycle button, separate key timings, scrolling text and a screen saver against OLED burn-in. We re-implemented his ideas for the new firmware. He is credited as co-author of these changes. Thank you very much!

Download

HellboardCompanion-0.4.0-win-x64.zip: unzip it anywhere and start HellboardCompanion.exe. You don't need to install anything, and the .NET runtime is included.

Update the Hellboard firmware

After starting 0.4.0, the overview shows a yellow hint that firmware 2.1.1 is available. Open the Hellboard tab and choose Update Hellboard firmware. Your saved configuration on the board is kept.

Fixed

• Settings were not always applied after reconnecting. After the Hellboard reconnected, it could answer requests with results from the previous connection without executing them. Configuration changes were then not applied, and the connection dropped about every 30 seconds. Fixed in the Companion and in the firmware. The Companion part also helps boards that still run firmware 2.0.0.
• Error answers of the board (for example for an invalid setting) arrived as an internal error. Fixed in firmware 2.1.1.

New in firmware 2.1.1

Buttons

• A stratagem button sends its code once per press. Holding it no longer repeats it, and the buttons are debounced.
• Cycle button: a short press selects the next entry of the multi-function list, a long press the previous one. Keep holding it to go back further.
• The board reacts faster: buttons are checked every 10 ms instead of every 50 ms.

Key timings (Hellboard tab)

• Wait for the stratagem menu, Hold each arrow and Pause between arrows can be set separately. The defaults stay at 50 ms. Increase them if a stratagem is sometimes not entered completely in the game.

Display (Hellboard tab)

• Long names: Off (cut after 16 characters), Scroll back and forth, or Scroll continuously (a ticker that never jumps back).
• Screen saver against OLED burn-in: turns the display off after a chosen time without a button press. Stratagem buttons keep working, and the cycle button wakes the display.
• Start-up logo: the Hellboard logo with the firmware version, matching the Companion icon.

New in the Companion

• The overview shows the state of the Hellboard firmware: green when it is up to date, yellow when an update is available, and red when the firmware is not compatible. The text says what to do.

Known limitations

• Withdrawing Ready in multiplayer has not been tested live yet.
• The code of B/FLAM-80 Cremator is not verified in the game yet. You can correct it in the stratagem editor.
• Updating MicroPython itself (UF2) is still a manual step.

License

Hellboard Companion is licensed under GPL-3.0-or-later. Third-party components are listed in THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.md. Hellboard Companion is a fan project and not affiliated with Arrowhead Game Studios or Sony Interactive Entertainment.

Companion 0.3.0 – stratagem editor and icon updates

Hellboard Companion 0.3.0 – stratagem editor and icon updates

Adds a stratagem editor and automatic updates of the stratagem icons. The Hellboard firmware stays at 2.0.0, so boards updated with 0.2.0 need no firmware update.

Download

HellboardCompanion-0.3.0-win-x64.zip: unzip it anywhere and start HellboardCompanion.exe. You don't need to install anything, and the .NET runtime is included. Your settings and stratagem list from 0.2.0 are kept.

New

Stratagem editor (tab Stratagems)

• Lists every stratagem known to the Companion, plus new icons from the icon repository that have no input code yet. Includes a search and an "only without code" filter.
• Add or correct input codes: with arrow buttons, or by typing with the arrow keys or W A S D. Warns when another stratagem already uses the same code.
• Name and category: you can also change the name and the category, which sets the LED color. New icons get a category suggested from their color.
• Changes apply immediately: without a restart. If the stratagem is part of the current loadout, the loadout is sent to the Hellboard again.
• Kept across updates: changes are stored in your own list (%APPDATA%\HellboardCompanion\stratagems.json), so updates of the Companion or the icons don't overwrite them. Remove my change restores the built-in code.
• Export and import: share your list with others.

Automatic icon updates

• The stratagem icons from nvigneux/Helldivers-2-Stratagems-icons-svg are checked at most once a day. New and changed icons are downloaded, and recognition uses them right away.
• The first download is much faster: under a second instead of about 20 seconds.
• Settings → Stratagem icons: shows the number of icons, the last check and a Check for new icons now button. It also lists new stratagems that still need an input code.

Placeholders for stratagems without an icon

• Some mission objectives have no icon in the icon repository, for example SSSD Delivery, Reinforcement Pods and the drills. They now show a tile in their category color with their initials.

Updating from 0.2.0

Replace the old folder with the new one. You don't need to update the Hellboard firmware.

Known limitations

• Withdrawing Ready in multiplayer has not been tested live yet.
• The code of B/FLAM-80 Cremator is not verified in the game yet. If yours differs, you can now correct it in the stratagem editor.
• Updating MicroPython itself (UF2) is still a manual step.

License

Hellboard Companion is licensed under GPL-3.0-or-later. Third-party components are listed in THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.md. Hellboard Companion is a fan project and not affiliated with Arrowhead Game Studios or Sony Interactive Entertainment.