input      Using a significant bit count
           in the last 2 bits of the last byte

ACGT       1b 00
ACGTA      1b 01
ACGTAA     1b 02
ACGTAAA    1b 03
ACGTAAAA   1b 00 00
ACGTAAAAA  1b 00 01

##</code><code>##

input      Using the significant bit count
           in the first byte

ACGT       00 1b 00
ACGTA      01 1b 00
ACGTAA     02 1b 00
ACGTAAA    03 1b 00
ACGTAAAA   00 1b 00 00
ACGTAAAAA  01 1b 00 00

##</code><code>##

input      packed with trailing  
           network (BE) length   

ACGT       1b 00 00 00 04        
ACGTA      1b 00 00 00 00 05     
ACGTAA     1b 00 00 00 00 06     
ACGTAAA    1b 00 00 00 00 07     
ACGTAAAA   1b 00 00 00 00 08     
ACGTAAAAA  1b 00 00 00 00 00 09  

##</code><code>##

input      packed with leading  
           network (BE) length   

ACGT       00 00 00 04 1b       
ACGTA      00 00 00 05 1b 00
ACGTAA     00 00 00 06 1b 00   
ACGTAAA    00 00 00 07 1b 00   
ACGTAAAA   00 00 00 08 1b 00   
ACGTAAAAA  00 00 00 09 1b 00 

##</code><code>##

in: ACGTACGTACGTACGTATT  packed( 9): 000000131b1b1b1b3c  
in: ACGTACGTACGTACGTAAAA packed(10): 000000141b1b1b1b0000