A multi-level framework that allows an application to be developed independent of the chip or board, and any dependency is built in as part of the framework of the field programmable device (FPD). According to one embodiment, a field programmable device (FPD) comprises at least one hardware design language (HDL) application core with at least one component virtual interface respectively coupled to the HDL core, wherein the HDL core and the component virtual interface form a component, and wherein the component virtual interface has a plurality of pre-defined interfaces for communicating with the core. The component is hardware independent of the FPD. There is a target platform interface coupled to the component virtual interface wherein the target platform interface incorporates hardware specific information. A framework manager is coupled to the target platform interface and communicates with at least one operating system.