Fickle fortune

Well, the poker night went well.

There was a pretty amazing hand towards the end of the Hold 'Em tournament. It happened right after a player was eliminated, leaving J. and myself still in the game, with J. having a pretty big chip lead (I could barely match the big blind, since we double the blinds and minimums after each person drops out). It was a pretty exhilirating ride at the time.

( How it went down )

Oh well...

It looks like my current project is going to take a bit of a detour. The test data I received from the senior architect just before he left to deal with his mother's death is not usable in its current form. This is maybe not entirely surprising, given how upset he likely was while trying to get it ready the day before flying back to Wales, but it means that my schedule planning is a bit out to lunch: he doesn't get back for another week.

So, it's on to the work I was going to do after that was finished, I guess. Namely, adapting the error-correcting code design for a different rate and block size¹ of code, since the messages going the opposite way need more powerful error correction. (Reason skipped because they're boring to any non-RF-system-design geek, and are also vaguely proprietary.) Unfortunately, this means that I may end up copying over some buggy or suboptimal design characteristics in my adaptation, the original plan having been to get the first one right, then build the other from an established base.

I'll let it roll around in my subconscious over the (yahoo!) weekend.

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1: The rate of a code refers to the rate of data transmission as a fraction of total bit transmission. A rate 1/2 code sends 1 data bit for every 2 physical bits sent; a rate 8/9 code sends 8 data bits for every 9 physical bits sent. The block length of the code refers to the number of bits which are grouped together and determined simultaneously using the redundant information available.