diff --git a/can/interfaces/canalystii.py b/can/interfaces/canalystii.py
index 6a2fd51a9..859fdca9a 100644
--- a/can/interfaces/canalystii.py
+++ b/can/interfaces/canalystii.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import warnings
 from ctypes import *
 import logging
 import platform
@@ -67,13 +68,13 @@ class VCI_CAN_OBJ(Structure):
 
 class CANalystIIBus(BusABC):
     def __init__(
-        self, channel, device=0, baud=None, Timing0=None, Timing1=None, can_filters=None, **kwargs
+        self, channel, device=0, bitrate=None, baud=None, Timing0=None, Timing1=None, can_filters=None, **kwargs
     ):
         """
 
         :param channel: channel number
         :param device: device number
-        :param baud: baud rate
+        :param baud: baud rate. Renamed to bitrate in next release.
         :param Timing0: customize the timing register if baudrate is not specified
         :param Timing1:
         :param can_filters: filters for packet
@@ -93,10 +94,15 @@ def __init__(
         self.channel_info = "CANalyst-II: device {}, channels {}".format(self.device, self.channels)
 
         if baud is not None:
+            warnings.warn('Argument baud will be deprecated in version 4, use bitrate instead',
+                          PendingDeprecationWarning)
+            bitrate = baud
+
+        if bitrate is not None:
             try:
-                Timing0, Timing1 = TIMING_DICT[baud]
+                Timing0, Timing1 = TIMING_DICT[bitrate]
             except KeyError:
-                raise ValueError("Baudrate is not supported")
+                raise ValueError("Bitrate is not supported")
 
         if Timing0 is None or Timing1 is None:
             raise ValueError("Timing registers are not set")