Patent ID: 7043502

Claim:
A method of generating a file suitable for programming a programmable logic device, the method comprising the steps of: (A) generating a programming item from a plurality of parameters that define a program for said programmable logic device; (B) compressing said programming item to present a compressed item; (C) storing said programming item in a programming field of said file; (D) storing said compressed item in a plurality of first non-programming fields of said file; (E) storing at least one non-programming type information item in a second non-programmable field of said file; (F) generating an error detection item; (G) storing said error detection item in a third non-programming field of said file; (H) extracting said error detection item and said compressed item from said file; and (I) decompressing said compressed item to present a backup programming item, wherein said decompressing includes mapping said compressed item from a character representation to a symbol representation.