Imageconverter 565 V2.3 -
Before understanding the tool, you must understand the format. RGB 565 is a 16-bit color encoding scheme:
By packing a pixel into exactly 16 bits (2 bytes), RGB 565 uses half the memory of full RGB 888 (24-bit) and significantly less processing power than 32-bit RGBA. This is ideal for microcontrollers with limited RAM and SPI or parallel displays with 16-bit interfaces.
ImageConverter 565 v2.3 automates the tedious process of: imageconverter 565 v2.3
The following benchmarks compare the memory footprint of a standard 320x240 pixel splash screen image (76,800 pixels total).
| Metric | Source (24-bit BMP) | Raw RGB565 Output | RLE Compressed RGB565 (v2.3) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Data Size | 230,400 Bytes | 153,600 Bytes | ~48,000 Bytes (varies by complexity) | | RAM Requirement | High | Medium | Low (Streamed) | | Flash Utilization | N/A | 150 KB | ~47 KB | | Load Time (SPI) | N/A | 120ms | 85ms | Before understanding the tool, you must understand the
Note: RLE compression reduces Flash storage usage significantly and can actually increase draw speed on slow SPI buses by reducing the amount of data transferred.
Subject: Analysis of Embedded Graphics Asset Preparation and RGB565 Conversion Version: 2.3 Date: October 26, 2023 By packing a pixel into exactly 16 bits
The tool is generally distributed as a portable .exe (no installation required). Download ImageConverter 565 v2.3 from a trusted embedded repository or GitHub mirror. Always verify the SHA hash to avoid malware.
Add this to your Makefile or PlatformIO script:
ImageConverter565.exe --input ./assets/splash.png --output ./src/splash.c \
--format c_array --width 240 --height 320 --dither fs --swap-bytes
This ensures your images are always up-to-date when you compile.
To get the most out of ImageConverter 565 v2.3: