A non-emissive display includes a backlight controller sending a pulse during each sub-frame of a plurality of frames to row and column drivers that drive backlight zones. The row drivers count each pulse to keep a pulse count total, and reset the pulse count total when it is equal to a first number indicating how many row drivers are present. Each row driver activates its channels and waits for a next pulse if the pulse count total is not equal to the first number and if the pulse count total is equal to a second number indicating in which sub-frame that first driver is to be activated. Each row driver waits for a next pulse if the pulse count total is not equal to the first number and the second number. Each column driver activates its channel in response to receipt of each pulse.