1. A method of processing an encoded data value comprising a codeword received over an information channel, the method comprising: receiving a channel output y comprising symbols defined over an alphabet Q of size q; performing symbol recovery of the channel output y to obtain a word of symbols ψ over an alphabet Q′ of size q′ wherein q>q′ for an error correcting code E defined over Q′ and adapted to correct for up to t asymmetric l-limited magnitude errors; decoding the word of symbols ψ with the error correcting code Σ and obtaining a decoded estimate {circumflex over (χ)} and an error-word estimate comprising a word of symbols {circumflex over (ε)} over Q′such that ψ={circumflex over (χ)}+{circumflex over (ε)} mod q′; and combining the channel output y with the error-word estimate {circumflex over (ε)} and thereby producing the estimated codeword of the data value over the alphabet Q.