MCP2515 CAN Bus Module + Arduino + SparkFun Boards | Compatibility & Setup

Development Boards Arduino
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Hey everyone,

I’m putting together a small Arduino + SparkFun project that involves CAN communication between multiple nodes — and I’m planning to use the MCP2515 CAN Bus Module for this setup. Before I dive in, I’d love to hear from anyone who’s tried combining this module with SparkFun boards (like the RedBoard Qwiic, ESP32 Thing, or MicroMod).

A few questions I’m hoping to clarify:

  • Has anyone had success using the MCP2515 with both 5V Arduinos and SparkFun’s 3.3V boards without a logic-level converter?

  • What’s the best library for stable CAN communication (Cory J. Fowler’s or the SparkFun CAN examples)?

  • Do SparkFun’s SPI-based boards play nicely with this module when sharing the SPI bus with other peripherals?

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Also, Would the MCP2515 CAN Bus Module TJA1050 Receiver with SPI Interface work smoothly across both Arduino and SparkFun ecosystems? It supports CAN V2.0B and communicates via SPI, so I’m thinking it could integrate nicely into mixed-platform projects, maybe even something like a CAN-enabled SparkFun RedBoard talking to an Arduino Mega. Anyone tested this combination?