[EricH]

Originally Posted by jskene

To interface with the CAN bus is it necessary to buy the NI 9852 CAN bus interface module?

This has a price of ~$1100, and so would not be legal on a USFIRST robot.

I can think of a way it would be legal. Several, actually.
1) KOP item. KOP items and spares for them are not counted in cost accounting (until you get more than KOP quantity).
2) Discounted price (<$400) available to ALL FRC teams.
3) Change in the cost accounting rules to allow it.