diff --git a/doc/source/protocol/todo.rst b/doc/source/protocol/todo.rst
index a8d4ab2..2bee8ab 100644
--- a/doc/source/protocol/todo.rst
+++ b/doc/source/protocol/todo.rst
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ Open questions
   -> needs Datatype for a function
 * datatype for funcion: is argin a list anyway, or just one (structured) argument?
   (so far we use a list and argout is a single datatype (which may be stuctured))
-* polling: vendor specific or do we propose a common way to handle it? 
+* polling: vendor specific or do we propose a common way to handle it?
   (playground uses a per-device pollinterval. params may be polled less often)
 * interface classes !!! (maybe with feature mixins like WindowTimeout?)
 * hardware access: unify? how?
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ Documentation
  * transfer build docu into wiki via automated jobfile
 
 
- 
+
 
 Transfer of blobs via json
 --------------------------
diff --git a/secop/modules.py b/secop/modules.py
index 7a98359..0ea0610 100644
--- a/secop/modules.py
+++ b/secop/modules.py
@@ -216,14 +216,14 @@ class Module(object):
         # defined even for non drivable (used for dynamic polling)
         return False
 
-    def early_init(self):
+    def earlyInit(self):
         # may be overriden in derived classes to init stuff
-        self.log.debug('empty %s.early_init()' % self.__class__.__name__)
+        self.log.debug('empty %s.earlyInit()' % self.__class__.__name__)
 
-    def init_module(self):
-        self.log.debug('empty %s.init_module()' % self.__class__.__name__)
+    def initModule(self):
+        self.log.debug('empty %s.initModule()' % self.__class__.__name__)
 
-    def start_module(self, started_callback):
+    def startModule(self, started_callback):
         '''runs after init of all modules
 
         started_callback to be called when thread spawned by late_init
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ class Module(object):
         might return a timeout value, if different from default
         '''
 
-        self.log.debug('empty %s.start_module()' % self.__class__.__name__)
+        self.log.debug('empty %s.startModule()' % self.__class__.__name__)
         started_callback()
 
 
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ class Readable(Module):
                                  ),
     }
 
-    def start_module(self, started_callback):
+    def startModule(self, started_callback):
         '''start polling thread'''
         mkthread(self.__pollThread, started_callback)
 
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ class Readable(Module):
     def __pollThread_inner(self, started_callback):
         """super simple and super stupid per-module polling thread"""
         i = 0
-        fastpoll = self.poll(i)
+        fastpoll = self.pollParams(i)
         started_callback()
         while True:
             i += 1
@@ -294,21 +294,19 @@ class Readable(Module):
             except TypeError:
                 time.sleep(min(self.pollinterval)
                            if fastpoll else max(self.pollinterval))
-            fastpoll = self.poll(i)
+            fastpoll = self.pollParams(i)
 
-    def poll(self, nr=0):
+    def pollParams(self, nr=0):
         # Just poll all parameters regularly where polling is enabled
-        for pname, pobj in self.accessibles.items():
-            if not isinstance(pobj, Parameter):
-                continue
+        for pname, pobj in self.parameters.items():
             if not pobj.poll:
                 continue
             if nr % abs(int(pobj.poll)) == 0:
-                # poll every 'pobj.poll' iteration
+                # pollParams every 'pobj.pollParams' iteration
                 rfunc = getattr(self, 'read_' + pname, None)
                 if rfunc:
                     try:
-                        rfunc()
+                        rfunc()  # pylint: disable = not-callable
                     except Exception:  # really all!
                         pass
 
@@ -351,13 +349,11 @@ class Drivable(Writable):
         return 300 <= self.status[0] < 400
 
     # improved polling: may poll faster if module is BUSY
-    def poll(self, nr=0):
+    def pollParams(self, nr=0):
         # poll status first
-        stat = self.read_status(0)
-        fastpoll = stat[0] == self.Status.BUSY
-        for pname, pobj in self.accessibles.items():
-            if not isinstance(pobj, Parameter):
-                continue
+        self.read_status(0)
+        fastpoll = self.isBusy()
+        for pname, pobj in self.parameters.items():
             if not pobj.poll:
                 continue
             if pname == 'status':
@@ -370,7 +366,7 @@ class Drivable(Writable):
                 rfunc = getattr(self, 'read_' + pname, None)
                 if rfunc:
                     try:
-                        rfunc()
+                        rfunc()  # pylint: disable = not-callable
                     except Exception:  # really all!
                         pass
         return fastpoll
diff --git a/secop/params.py b/secop/params.py
index d91eddf..7761132 100644
--- a/secop/params.py
+++ b/secop/params.py
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ class Parameter(Accessible):
 
     poll can be:
     - False  (never poll this parameter)
-    - True   (poll this ever pollinterval)
+    - True   (poll this every pollinterval)
     - positive int  (poll every N(th) pollinterval)
     - negative int  (normally poll every N(th) pollinterval, if module is busy, poll every pollinterval)
 
diff --git a/secop/server.py b/secop/server.py
index 13d913b..16c9d14 100644
--- a/secop/server.py
+++ b/secop/server.py
@@ -185,18 +185,18 @@ class Server(object):
         for modname, modobj in self.modules.items():
             self.log.info(u'registering module %r' % modname)
             self.dispatcher.register_module(modobj, modname, modobj.properties['export'])
-            # also call early_init on the modules
-            modobj.early_init()
+            # also call earlyInit on the modules
+            modobj.earlyInit()
 
         # call init on each module after registering all
         for modname, modobj in self.modules.items():
-            modobj.init_module()
+            modobj.initModule()
 
         start_events = []
         for modname, modobj in self.modules.items():
             event = threading.Event()
-            # start_module must return either a timeout value or None (default 30 sec)
-            timeout = modobj.start_module(started_callback=event.set) or 30
+            # startModule must return either a timeout value or None (default 30 sec)
+            timeout = modobj.startModule(started_callback=event.set) or 30
             start_events.append((time.time() + timeout, modname, event))
         self.log.info(u'waiting for modules being started')
         for deadline, modname, event in sorted(start_events):
diff --git a/secop_demo/cryo.py b/secop_demo/cryo.py
index beb090d..c4f8a22 100644
--- a/secop_demo/cryo.py
+++ b/secop_demo/cryo.py
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ class Cryostat(CryoBase):
             special='content of special property'),
     )
 
-    def init_module(self):
+    def initModule(self):
         self._stopflag = False
         self._thread = mkthread(self.thread)
 
diff --git a/secop_demo/modules.py b/secop_demo/modules.py
index 6f3a4b8..69cdfbd 100644
--- a/secop_demo/modules.py
+++ b/secop_demo/modules.py
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ class MagneticField(Drivable):
         'status' : Override(datatype=TupleOf(EnumType(Status), StringType())),
     }
 
-    def init_module(self):
+    def initModule(self):
         self._state = Enum('state', idle=1, switch_on=2, switch_off=3, ramp=4).idle
         self._heatswitch = self.DISPATCHER.get_module(self.heatswitch)
         _thread = threading.Thread(target=self._thread)
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ class SampleTemp(Drivable):
                       ),
     }
 
-    def init_module(self):
+    def initModule(self):
         _thread = threading.Thread(target=self._thread)
         _thread.daemon = True
         _thread.start()
diff --git a/secop_mlz/amagnet.py b/secop_mlz/amagnet.py
index b65c761..2282dd2 100644
--- a/secop_mlz/amagnet.py
+++ b/secop_mlz/amagnet.py
@@ -134,8 +134,8 @@ class GarfieldMagnet(SequencerMixin, Drivable):
         raise ConfigError(self,
                                  '_current2field polynome not monotonic!')
 
-    def init_module(self):
-        super(GarfieldMagnet, self).init_module()
+    def initModule(self):
+        super(GarfieldMagnet, self).initModule()
         self._enable = self.DISPATCHER.get_module(self.subdev_enable)
         self._symmetry = self.DISPATCHER.get_module(self.subdev_symmetry)
         self._polswitch = self.DISPATCHER.get_module(self.subdev_polswitch)
diff --git a/secop_mlz/entangle.py b/secop_mlz/entangle.py
index fcbe879..880b5ff 100644
--- a/secop_mlz/entangle.py
+++ b/secop_mlz/entangle.py
@@ -211,12 +211,12 @@ class PyTangoDevice(Module):
                         self._com_warn(tries, name, err, info)
                     sleep(self.comdelay)
 
-    def early_init(self):
+    def earlyInit(self):
         # Wrap PyTango client creation (so even for the ctor, logging and
         # exception mapping is enabled).
         self._createPyTangoDevice = self._applyGuardToFunc(
             self._createPyTangoDevice, 'constructor')
-        super(PyTangoDevice, self).early_init()
+        super(PyTangoDevice, self).earlyInit()
 
     @lazy_property
     def _dev(self):
@@ -380,8 +380,8 @@ class AnalogInput(PyTangoDevice, Readable):
     The AnalogInput handles all devices only delivering an analogue value.
     """
 
-    def start_module(self, started_callback):
-        super(AnalogInput, self).start_module(started_callback)
+    def startModule(self, started_callback):
+        super(AnalogInput, self).startModule(started_callback)
         # query unit from tango and update value property
         attrInfo = self._dev.attribute_query('value')
         # prefer configured unit if nothing is set on the Tango device, else
@@ -457,14 +457,14 @@ class AnalogOutput(PyTangoDevice, Drivable):
     _timeout = None
     _moving = False
 
-    def init_module(self):
-        super(AnalogOutput, self).init_module()
+    def initModule(self):
+        super(AnalogOutput, self).initModule()
         # init history
         self._history = []  # will keep (timestamp, value) tuple
         self._timeout = None  # keeps the time at which we will timeout, or None
 
-    def start_module(self, started_callback):
-        super(AnalogOutput, self).start_module(started_callback)
+    def startModule(self, started_callback):
+        super(AnalogOutput, self).startModule(started_callback)
         # query unit from tango and update value property
         attrInfo = self._dev.attribute_query('value')
         # prefer configured unit if nothing is set on the Tango device, else
@@ -472,8 +472,8 @@ class AnalogOutput(PyTangoDevice, Drivable):
         if attrInfo.unit != 'No unit':
             self.accessibles['value'].unit = attrInfo.unit
 
-    def poll(self, nr=0):
-        super(AnalogOutput, self).poll(nr)
+    def pollParams(self, nr=0):
+        super(AnalogOutput, self).pollParams(nr)
         while len(self._history) > 2:
             # if history would be too short, break
             if self._history[-1][0] - self._history[1][0] <= self.window:
@@ -802,8 +802,8 @@ class NamedDigitalInput(DigitalInput):
                          datatype=StringType(), export=False),  # XXX:!!!
     }
 
-    def init_module(self):
-        super(NamedDigitalInput, self).init_module()
+    def initModule(self):
+        super(NamedDigitalInput, self).initModule()
         try:
             # pylint: disable=eval-used
             self.accessibles['value'].datatype = EnumType('value', **eval(self.mapping))
@@ -827,8 +827,8 @@ class PartialDigitalInput(NamedDigitalInput):
                           datatype=IntRange(0), default=1),
     }
 
-    def init_module(self):
-        super(PartialDigitalInput, self).init_module()
+    def initModule(self):
+        super(PartialDigitalInput, self).initModule()
         self._mask = (1 << self.bitwidth) - 1
         # self.accessibles['value'].datatype = IntRange(0, self._mask)
 
@@ -869,8 +869,8 @@ class NamedDigitalOutput(DigitalOutput):
                          datatype=StringType(), export=False),
     }
 
-    def init_module(self):
-        super(NamedDigitalOutput, self).init_module()
+    def initModule(self):
+        super(NamedDigitalOutput, self).initModule()
         try:
             # pylint: disable=eval-used
             self.accessibles['value'].datatype = EnumType('value', **eval(self.mapping))
@@ -897,8 +897,8 @@ class PartialDigitalOutput(NamedDigitalOutput):
                           datatype=IntRange(0), default=1),
     }
 
-    def init_module(self):
-        super(PartialDigitalOutput, self).init_module()
+    def initModule(self):
+        super(PartialDigitalOutput, self).initModule()
         self._mask = (1 << self.bitwidth) - 1
         # self.accessibles['value'].datatype = IntRange(0, self._mask)
         # self.accessibles['target'].datatype = IntRange(0, self._mask)
diff --git a/test/test_modules.py b/test/test_modules.py
index e68d91d..ae82357 100644
--- a/test/test_modules.py
+++ b/test/test_modules.py
@@ -48,10 +48,10 @@ def test_Communicator():
     ))()
 
     o = Communicator('communicator',logger, {}, srv)
-    o.early_init()
-    o.init_module()
+    o.earlyInit()
+    o.initModule()
     event = threading.Event()
-    o.start_module(event.set)
+    o.startModule(event.set)
     assert event.is_set() # event should be set immediately
 
 def test_ModuleMeta():
@@ -139,9 +139,9 @@ def test_ModuleMeta():
             assert o not in params_found
 
     for o in objects:
-        o.early_init()
+        o.earlyInit()
     for o in objects:
-        o.init_module()
+        o.initModule()
 
     for o in objects:
         event = threading.Event()
@@ -153,6 +153,6 @@ def test_ModuleMeta():
                 event.set()
             raise Exception("end test") # this will kill the polling thread on the second call
 
-        o.start_module(started_callback)
+        o.startModule(started_callback)
         assert event2.wait(timeout=1)
         assert event.is_set()