def METHOD_NAME(self, mu):
    # in this form MSB is actually 0.5dB attenuator
    # unnatural for users, so we flip the six bits
    return (((mu & 0x01) << 5)
            | ((mu & 0x02) << 3) 
            | ((mu & 0x04) << 1) 
            | ((mu & 0x08) >> 1) 
            | ((mu & 0x10) >> 3) 
            | ((mu & 0x20) >> 5))