# Olimex AVR-ISP500 fail to enter programming mode **URL:** \ **Category:** MicroMod\ **Tags:** avr-atmel\ **Created:** [September 16, 2008, 12:41pm UTC](https://community.sparkfun.com/t/olimex-avr-isp500-fail-to-enter-programming-mode/8494 "2008-09-16T12:41:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nogrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f1d935/32.png) [@nogrow](https://community.sparkfun.com/u/nogrow)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 12:41pm UTC](https://community.sparkfun.com/t/olimex-avr-isp500-fail-to-enter-programming-mode/8494/1 "2008-09-16T12:41:33Z")
I am trying to hook up my new Olimex AVR-ISP500 to two different Futurlec ATmega128 boards. I can connect to the programmer via AVRstudio and CodeVision AVR. I can even read the voltages via the “HW settings” tab in AVRstudio. When i try to read the signature the led on the programmer flashes orange and both IDE’s say that they fail because they can’t enter programming mode. :? I have checked the pin-outs and I have been able to program these boards before using Futurlecs ET-AVR ISP and PonyProg via the paralell port. Is the Olimex programmer problem prone or do I miss something obvious? Thom ---
**Author:** ![nogrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f1d935/32.png) [@nogrow](https://community.sparkfun.com/u/nogrow)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 2:01pm UTC](https://community.sparkfun.com/t/olimex-avr-isp500-fail-to-enter-programming-mode/8494/2 "2008-09-16T14:01:59Z")
After a lot of searching I found the following page [http://www.skpang.co.uk/catalog/product … &osCsid=18](http://www.skpang.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=294&osCsid=18) explaining that “This board is NOT compatible with Olimex AVR-ISP500 use AVRISP instead” So I will without waisting more time switch over to AVRISP. Olimex, do you have any comment to why it should work with AVRISP but not with your product? Thom