diff --git a/src/error.rs b/src/error.rs
index 907968c..24fd3bd 100644
--- a/src/error.rs
+++ b/src/error.rs
@@ -2,16 +2,19 @@ use thiserror::Error;
 
 use std::ffi::CStr;
 use std::io;
+use std::str;
 
 use super::ffi;
 
 #[derive(Debug, Error)]
 pub enum Error {
+    #[error("failed to initialize the ftdi context")]
+    InitFailed,
     #[error("failed to enumerate devices to open the correct one")]
     EnumerationFailed,
     #[error("the specified device could not be found")]
     DeviceNotFound,
-    #[error("failed to open the specified device")]
+    #[error("failed to open or close the specified device")]
     AccessFailed,
     #[error("the requested interface could not be claimed")]
     ClaimFailed,
@@ -34,9 +37,14 @@ pub enum Error {
 
 impl Error {
     pub(crate) fn unknown(context: *mut ffi::ftdi_context) -> Self {
-        let message = unsafe { CStr::from_ptr(ffi::ftdi_get_error_string(context)) }
-            .to_str()
-            .expect("all error strings are expected to be ASCII");
+        let message = unsafe {
+            // Null pointer returns empty string. And we otherwise can't
+            // use a context without Builder::new() returning first.
+            let err_raw = ffi::ftdi_get_error_string(context);
+            // Manually checked- every error string in libftdi1 is ASCII.
+            str::from_utf8_unchecked(CStr::from_ptr(err_raw).to_bytes())
+        };
+
         Error::Unknown {
             source: LibFtdiError { message },
         }
@@ -51,7 +59,13 @@ pub struct LibFtdiError {
     message: &'static str,
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug, Error)]
+#[error("libusb error code {code}")]
+pub struct LibUsbError {
+    code: i32,
+}
+
 // Ideally this should be using libusb bindings, but we don't depend on any specific USB crate yet
 pub(crate) fn libusb_to_io(code: i32) -> io::Error {
-    io::Error::new(io::ErrorKind::Other, format!("libusb error code {}", code))
+    io::Error::new(io::ErrorKind::Other, LibUsbError { code })
 }
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index f8997ff..a24d897 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ use libftdi1_sys as ffi;
 
 use std::convert::TryInto;
 use std::io::{self, Read, Write};
+use std::os::raw;
 
 pub mod error;
 
@@ -20,6 +21,24 @@ pub enum Interface {
     Any,
 }
 
+pub enum FlowControl {
+    Disable,
+    RtsCts,
+    DtrDsr,
+    XonXoff
+}
+
+impl Into<i32> for FlowControl {
+    fn into(self) -> i32 {
+        match self {
+            FlowControl::Disable => 0x0,
+            FlowControl::RtsCts => (0x1 << 8),
+            FlowControl::DtrDsr => (0x2 << 8),
+            FlowControl::XonXoff => (0x4 << 8),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 impl Into<ffi::ftdi_interface> for Interface {
     fn into(self) -> ffi::ftdi_interface {
         match self {
@@ -100,6 +119,26 @@ impl Device {
         }
     }
 
+    pub fn usb_close(mut self) -> Result<Builder> {
+        let result = unsafe { ffi::ftdi_usb_close(self.context) };
+
+        match result {
+            0 => {
+                let context = std::mem::replace(&mut self.context, std::ptr::null_mut());
+                std::mem::forget(self);
+
+                let builder = Builder {
+                    context
+                };
+
+                Ok(builder)
+            },
+            -1 => Err(Error::AccessFailed), // usb release failed
+            -3 => unreachable!("uninitialized context"),
+            _ => Err(Error::unknown(self.context))
+        }
+    }
+
     pub fn usb_purge_buffers(&mut self) -> Result<()> {
         let result = unsafe { ffi::ftdi_usb_purge_buffers(self.context) };
         match result {
@@ -169,6 +208,45 @@ impl Device {
             err => panic!("unknown get_write_chunksize retval {:?}", err),
         }
     }
+
+    pub fn read_pins(&mut self) -> Result<u8> {
+        let mut pins : u8 = 0;
+        let pins_ptr = std::slice::from_mut(&mut pins).as_mut_ptr();
+
+        let result = unsafe { ffi::ftdi_read_pins(self.context, pins_ptr) };
+
+        match result {
+            0 => Ok(pins),
+            -1 => Err(Error::RequestFailed), // read pins failed
+            -2 => unreachable!("uninitialized context"),
+            _ => Err(Error::unknown(self.context)),
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn set_baudrate(&mut self, baudrate : u32) -> Result<()> {
+        // TODO: libftdi1 will multiply baud rates in bitbang mode
+        // by 4. This leads to UB if baudrate >= INT_MAX/4.
+        let result = unsafe { ffi::ftdi_set_baudrate(self.context, baudrate as raw::c_int) };
+
+        match result {
+            0 => Ok(()),
+            -1 => Err(Error::InvalidInput("baud rate not supported")),
+            -2 => Err(Error::RequestFailed), // set baudrate failed
+            -3 => unreachable!("uninitialized context"),
+            _ => Err(Error::unknown(self.context))
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn set_flow_control(&mut self, flowctrl: FlowControl) -> Result<()> {
+        let result = unsafe { ffi::ftdi_setflowctrl(self.context, flowctrl.into()) };
+
+        match result {
+            0 => Ok(()),
+            -1 => Err(Error::RequestFailed), // set flow control failed
+            -2 => unreachable!("uninitialized context"),
+            _ => Err(Error::unknown(self.context))
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 impl Drop for Device {