import time
 import struct
 import threading
+import digitalio
 from PIL import Image
 import numpy
 from recordclass import recordclass
 Rectangle = recordclass("Rectangle", "x1 y1 x2 y2")
 displays = []
 
+BACKLIGHT_IN_OUT = 1
+BACKLIGHT_PWM = 2
+
 # pylint: disable=unnecessary-pass, unused-argument
 
 # pylint: disable=too-many-instance-attributes
         self._rowstart = rowstart
         self._rotation = rotation
         self._auto_brightness = auto_brightness
-        self._brightness = brightness
+        self._brightness = 1.0
         self._auto_refresh = auto_refresh
         self._initialize(init_sequence)
         self._buffer = Image.new("RGB", (width, height))
         if self._auto_refresh:
             self.auto_refresh = True
 
+        self._backlight_type = None
+        if backlight_pin is not None:
+            self._backlight_type = BACKLIGHT_IN_OUT
+            self._backlight = digitalio.DigitalInOut(backlight_pin)
+            self._backlight.switch_to_output()
+            self.brightness = brightness
+
     # pylint: enable=too-many-locals
 
     def _initialize(self, init_sequence):
             data_size = init_sequence[i + 1]
             delay = (data_size & 0x80) > 0
             data_size &= ~0x80
+
             self._write(command, init_sequence[i + 2 : i + 2 + data_size])
             delay_time_ms = 10
             if delay:
             i += 2 + data_size
 
     def _write(self, command, data):
-        if self._single_byte_bounds:
-            self._bus.send(True, bytes([command]) + data, toggle_every_byte=True)
+        self._bus.begin_transaction()
+        if self._data_as_commands:
+            if command is not None:
+                self._bus.send(True, bytes([command]), toggle_every_byte=True)
+            self._bus.send(command is not None, data)
         else:
             self._bus.send(True, bytes([command]), toggle_every_byte=True)
             self._bus.send(False, data)
+        self._bus.end_transaction()
 
     def _release(self):
         self._bus.release()
             ),
         )
 
-        self._write(self._write_ram_command, pixels)
+        if self._data_as_commands:
+            self._write(None, pixels)
+        else:
+            self._write(self._write_ram_command, pixels)
 
     def _clip(self, rectangle):
         if self._rotation in (90, 270):
 
     @brightness.setter
     def brightness(self, value):
-        self._brightness = value
+        if 0 <= float(value) <= 1.0:
+            self._brightness = value
+            if self._backlight_type == BACKLIGHT_IN_OUT:
+                self._backlight.value = int(round(self._brightness))
+            # PWM not currently implemented
+            # Command-based brightness not implemented
+        else:
+            raise ValueError("Brightness must be between 0.0 and 1.0")
 
     @property
     def auto_brightness(self):
 
         first code.py run.
         """
         self._dc = digitalio.DigitalInOut(command)
-        self._dc.switch_to_output()
+        self._dc.switch_to_output(value=False)
         self._chip_select = digitalio.DigitalInOut(chip_select)
         self._chip_select.switch_to_output(value=True)
+        self._frequency = baudrate
+        self._polarity = polarity
+        self._phase = phase
 
         if reset is not None:
             self._reset = digitalio.DigitalInOut(reset)
         else:
             self._reset = None
         self._spi = spi_bus
-        while self._spi.try_lock():
-            pass
-        self._spi.configure(baudrate=baudrate, polarity=polarity, phase=phase)
-        self._spi.unlock()
 
     def _release(self):
         self.reset()
         such as vertical scroll, set via ``send`` may or may not be reset once the code is
         done.
         """
-        while self._spi.try_lock():
-            pass
         self._dc.value = not is_command
         if toggle_every_byte:
             for byte in data:
                 self._chip_select.value = False
         else:
             self._spi.write(data)
+
+    def begin_transaction(self):
+        """Begin the SPI transaction by locking, configuring, and setting Chip Select
+        """
+        if not self._spi.try_lock():
+            return False
+        self._spi.configure(
+            baudrate=self._frequency, polarity=self._polarity, phase=self._phase
+        )
+        self._chip_select.value = False
+        return True
+
+    def end_transaction(self):
+        """End the SPI transaction by unlocking and setting Chip Select
+        """
+        self._chip_select.value = True
         self._spi.unlock()