Summary
This release delivers significant memory optimization through a complete restructuring of the Nextion-ESPHome communication protocol, replacing JSON with CSV format for substantially reduced memory usage.
Key Improvements
Communication Protocol Overhaul
Completely replaced JSON-based communication with CSV format between Nextion display and ESPHome,
resulting in dramatic memory savings and improved efficiency.
Protocol changes:
- Replaced JSON parsing with CSV - eliminated heavy JSON library dependencies
- Reduced memory footprint - CSV parsing requires significantly less memory than JSON
- Improved performance - faster parsing and lower overhead
- Maintained functionality - all features work identically from user perspective
Benefits:
- Substantial memory savings - major reduction in RAM usage during communication
- Better Bluetooth compatibility - more memory available for Bluetooth and add-ons
- Increased stability - reduced memory pressure improves overall system reliability
- No user impact - change is completely transparent to users
Additional Memory Optimizations
Extensive memory optimization work throughout the codebase beyond the protocol change,
targeting maximum memory efficiency while preserving all core functionality.
Optimization scope:
- Component memory usage reviewed and optimized
- Data structure efficiency improvements
- Eliminated unnecessary memory allocations
- Streamlined memory-intensive operations
Technical Details
The JSON to CSV conversion represents a fundamental architectural improvement in how the panel
communicates internally. CSV’s simplicity and efficiency make it ideal for the constrained
embedded environment, providing the same functionality with a fraction of the memory overhead.
This release represents one of the most significant memory optimization efforts in the project,
opening the door for more reliable operation with memory-intensive features like Bluetooth.
Result: Dramatically reduced memory usage through protocol modernization and comprehensive optimization,
improving stability and compatibility with add-ons and Bluetooth functionality.
Major memory optimization release with fundamental communication protocol improvements.