{"id":7023,"date":"2026-04-30T17:17:19","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T15:17:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pschatzmann.ch\/home\/?p=7023"},"modified":"2026-04-30T17:22:57","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T15:22:57","slug":"tinygpu-for-arduino","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pschatzmann.ch\/home\/2026\/04\/30\/tinygpu-for-arduino\/","title":{"rendered":"TinyGPU for Arduino"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

I recently needed to add SLAM visualization to QGroundControl. The plan: render a map using a simple graphics library, then encode the output via H.265. That\u2019s how I stumbled into writing TinyGPU<\/strong>\u2014and it quickly became my new favorite tool for lightweight embedded graphics.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

TinyGPU is a lightweight, header-only C++ library for Arduino that handles RGB565 graphics<\/strong>, sprites<\/strong>, and even basic 3D wireframes<\/strong> on small screens.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What Makes TinyGPU Different?<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Most Arduino graphics libraries try to do everything\u2014drive displays, manage fonts, handle touch input. TinyGPU takes a smarter, more modular approach: it\u2019s an in-memory rendering layer<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Here\u2019s the flow:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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  1. You render graphics, text, or sprites into an RGB565 memory buffer.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
  2. You forward that finished pixel data to your own hardware-specific output code.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    That\u2019s it. TinyGPU never argues with your display driver<\/strong>\u2014it just works. You keep full control over how final pixels are pushed to your screen.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Feature Highlights<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    1. Multiple Color Spaces (Not Just RGB565)<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    RGB565 is the star\u2014compact 16-bit color balancing quality and memory usage\u2014but TinyGPU also supports RGB666, RGB888, and Monochrome<\/strong>. That level of flexibility is rare and very welcome.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    2. 2D Primitives Done Right<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Lines, rectangles, circles, plus bitmap font rendering<\/strong> with wrapped line printing. For a lightweight library, the typography support feels surprisingly robust.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    3. Sprite Superpowers<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    You can add, move, scale, and rotate sprites, complete with sprite-aware framebuffer management. For UI work or simple game animations, it\u2019s a joy to use.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    4. Basic 3D Wireframe Rendering<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Yes, you read that correctly. TinyGPU includes:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n