Partial device AS programming

[Altera_Forum]

I want to program 1.4MB compressed sof file into 2MB EPCS16 device by means of Active Serial mode of Quartus Programmer. The point is - I want to program only relevant flash sectors (up to address 160000H) and preserve the rest of the EPCS flash contest. So far I don't even now where to start - "convert programming files" tool insists on creating full 2MB POF file and not a single byte less. I tried both "Add SOF data" and "Add HEX data" variants but as long as EPCS16 is chosen as a target the result is always the same. 

 Some pointers? GUI, Quartus tcl scripts Nios2 EDS command line tools, I'd take any option.

[Altera_Forum]

The "compression" flag has to be checked explicitely in the individual image file options. It's set independant of the *.sof compression state.

[Altera_Forum]

I know. 

To repeat what I said above, it happens even when I "add to POF" the HEX data which size I know very well. The problem is in conversion to POF rather than in data itself.

[Altera_Forum]

Yes, you are right. The conversion tool always creates a file of full device size. Up to Quartus 9.0, the Quartus programmer uses a chip erase command rather than erasing individual pages. It's been said in the forum, that starting with Q9.1, individual pages are erased, but I'm not aware of the detail implications.