diff --git a/wled00/src/font/codepage437.cpp b/wled00/src/font/codepage437.cpp
index cea00454..4adadd8c 100644
--- a/wled00/src/font/codepage437.cpp
+++ b/wled00/src/font/codepage437.cpp
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 #if defined(WLED_ENABLE_FULL_FONTS)
 
 #include "codepages.h"
+#include <string.h>
 
-// translates unicode 2-byte (UTF-16) "code points" into corresponding characters in codepage 347 (IBM PC aka PC-8)
+// translates unicode 2-byte (UTF-16) "code points" into corresponding characters in codepage 437 (IBM PC aka PC-8)
 // based on a table from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_page_437#Character_set
 uint16_t wchar16ToCodepage437(uint16_t wideChar) {
 
@@ -205,7 +206,4 @@ uint16_t wchar16ToCodepage437(uint16_t wideChar) {
 
 }
 
-
-
-
-#endif
\ No newline at end of file
+#endif
diff --git a/wled00/src/font/codepages.h b/wled00/src/font/codepages.h
index 4ed5799e..829fcf0f 100644
--- a/wled00/src/font/codepages.h
+++ b/wled00/src/font/codepages.h
@@ -1,5 +1,15 @@
-#include <string.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
+#ifndef WLED_CODEPAGES_H
+#define WLED_CODEPAGES_H
+#include <stdlib.h> // needed to get uint16_t definition
 
-// translates unicode 2-byte (UTF-16) "code points" into corresponding characters in codepage 347 (IBM PC aka PC-8)
-uint16_t wchar16ToCodepage437(uint16_t wideChar);     // codepage437.cpp
\ No newline at end of file
+// translates unicode UTF-8 "character code" into 2-byte "code point" (reduced UTF-16)
+uint16_t unicodeToWchar16(const char* utf8, size_t maxLen);     // unicodetool.cpp
+
+// returns a pointer to the next unicode item - can be used to "advance" conversion after unicodeToWchar16()
+// return nullptr at end of input
+const char* nextUnicode(const char* utf8, size_t maxLen);      // unicodetool.cpp
+
+// translates unicode 2-byte (UTF-16) "code point" into corresponding character in codepage 437 (IBM PC aka PC-8)
+uint16_t wchar16ToCodepage437(uint16_t wideChar);              // codepage437.cpp
+
+#endif
diff --git a/wled00/src/font/unicodetool.cpp b/wled00/src/font/unicodetool.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9388247b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wled00/src/font/unicodetool.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+#if defined(WLED_ENABLE_FULL_FONTS)
+
+#include "codepages.h"
+#include <string.h>
+
+// translates the next unicode UTF-8 item to 2-byte "code points" (reduced UTF-16)
+uint16_t unicodeToWchar16(const char* utf8, size_t maxLen) {
+  // to be implemented
+}
+
+// returns a pointer to the next unicode item - can be used to "advance" conversion after unicodeToWchar16()
+// return nullptr at end of input
+const char* nextUnicode(const char* utf8, size_t maxLen) {
+  // to be implemented
+}
+
+#endif