HEX Converter

• Convert file to...

How to extract text from your HEX file

1. Click the "Select File" button above, and choose your HEX file.
2. You’ll see a preview, if available.
3. Click the "Convert file to..." button to extract text information.

About HEX files

A .HEX file typically contains microcontroller firmware formatted in the Intel HEX standard. It is a plain text file that represents binary machine code using hexadecimal ASCII characters. Engineers and hobbyists use these files to program microcontrollers, ROM, and EEPROM memory on devices like Arduino boards. The format organizes code into structured records, including memory addresses and checksums, to ensure data integrity during the transfer process. You can open them with basic text editors or specialized IDEs like Microchip Studio.

Despite its reliability, the .HEX format has strict practical limits. Because it uses ASCII characters to encode binary data, the resulting file size is more than double the actual machine code payload. It is not directly executable on a standard PC and requires specialized flashing tools, such as avrdude, to upload to a physical device. The structured text format also makes it difficult to inject raw data, pad memory arrays, or perform direct memory mapping without parsing the entire file first.

To bypass these limits, you must convert the file. For raw memory operations, flash programming without overhead, and smaller file sizes, convert to BIN. If you need to document the code or attempt reverse engineering, convert to TXT or disassemble to ASM (Assembly). Note that converting back to high-level source code (like C or CPP) is impossible, as variable names and comments are destroyed during the initial compilation.

Convert.Guru analyzes your HEX file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.

Users also converted TXT, UF2, PDF, HEIC, BIN, SREC, S19, HWX, ELF, DAT, JPG, INO and ASM files.

FAQ