A system and method for restricting proper regulation by a control unit of only the functionality of the targeted device whose operations are intended to be programmed so as to insure no adverse regulation of functionality with respect to any other non-targeted device. A memory associated with each of the control device and the targeted device stores a unique identification assigned to that targeted device compressed using an error detection scheme, wherein the compressed unique identification has a length less than or equal to that of each of the messages. Circuitry, such as a logic function, mixes the stored compressed unique identification with each message transmitted between the two devices subsequent to receipt of a response signal from the targeted device to an interrogation command from the control device to insure proper communication between the control device and the targeted device.
