Supported Devices

• SportIdent BSM7

• SportIdent BSM8

Both devices are supported. The BSM8 is significantly faster and is therefore recommended.

USB OTG Requirement

A USB OTG adapter or OTG cable is required to connect a BSM station to an Android device.

Direct USB Connection

1. Connect the BSM station using a USB OTG cable.

2. Start BSM Time Sync.

3. Verify that "USB Connected" is displayed.

4. Read or synchronize the station time.

Screen Layout

The BSM Time Sync screen consists of three sections.

Control Buttons

At the top of the screen are the control buttons:

• Check Time   🕒 – Reads the current date and time from the station.

• Set Time   ↻ 🕒 – Synchronizes the station clock with the Android device.

• Sleep   🌙 – Puts the SPORTident station into sleep mode.

Press and hold SLEEP for 2 seconds to put station into sleep mode

• DIRECT   🔌  /  REMOTE   📡 – Switches between Direct USB communication and Remote Link communication.

Press and hold DIRECT   🔌  or  REMOTE   📡 for 2 seconds to switch modes.

• New in Version 1.3

• The SLEEP   🌙  button was added in BSM Time Sync version 1.3. Press and hold the button for 2 seconds to activate Sleep mode.

• New in Version 1.4

•  Added the INFO / BATTERY 🔋 button. This function displays the SPORTident station model, firmware version, station code and battery information, including voltage, capacity, battery usage and installation date.

Time Information

The middle section displays:

• Station date and time

• Device date and time

• Time difference (Diff)

The Diff value shows the difference between the station clock and the Android device clock.

Time Difference (DIFF)

The DIFF field shows the time difference between the Android device and the SPORTident station.

To improve readability, the value is displayed using the most appropriate time unit:

• Below 1.5 seconds: displayed with three decimal places (e.g. -0.132 sec).

• Below 60 seconds: displayed in seconds (e.g. 12 s).

• Below 60 minutes: displayed in minutes and seconds (e.g. 3 min 45 s).

• Below 24 hours: displayed in hours and minutes (e.g. 2 h 15 min).

• 24 hours or more: displayed in days and hours (e.g. 1 d 6 h).

This makes large time differences easier to read while still providing high precision for normal synchronization.

Terminal Window

The orange terminal window at the bottom of the screen displays status information, messages from the station, and error messages.

This information can be useful for troubleshooting communication problems and verifying successful operations.

Remote Link (Ferrite Rod)

Press and hold DIRECT or REMOTE for 2 seconds to switch between Direct and Remote mode.

BSM Time Sync supports Remote Link communication using a ferrite rod.

This allows communication with compatible stations without directly connecting the station by USB.

Remote Link is useful for checking or synchronizing BSF stations without a direct USB connection.

In Remote mode, the BSM may take up to 30 seconds to find a host station. If no host station is found, the application will display "No Response".

Known issue

In some situations, a remote BSM station may not wake up immediately. This appears to be related to the BSM hardware or radio communication rather than the app itself.

If a station does not respond, try one of the following:

• Switch from Remote to Direct mode, then back to Remote.

• Insert an SI card into the station to wake it up.

• Reposition or slightly rotate the BSM unit, as this may improve radio communication.

• Repeat the command if necessary.

Reading Time

Use Check Time to read the current station time.

The application displays:

• Station time

• Device time

• Difference between the station clock and the Android device clock

• A negative value means the station is behind the Android device.

• A positive value means the station is ahead of the Android device

• In Remote mode, the BSM may take up to 30 seconds to find a host station.

• If no host station is found, the application will display "No Response".

Synchronizing Time

Use Set Time to synchronize the station clock with the Android device.

After synchronization, Check Time is automatically performed and the updated station time is displayed.

Before synchronization, make sure the Android device date and time are correct, as they will be written to the station.

USB Permission

If the application reports "No USB Permission", another application may already have permission to use the connected USB device.

Disconnect the USB cable and reconnect it. When Android asks which application should use the USB device, select BSM Time Sync and allow USB access.

If no permission dialog appears, check whether another application (for example SI-Droid) has already been granted access to the USB device.

Samsung Devices (Android 16)

On some Samsung devices running Android 16, the Samsung Labs feature can force portrait-only applications to run in landscape mode on large screens.

For the best experience with BSM Time Sync, disable this feature:

Settings → Advanced features → Labs → Landscape view for portrait apps → Off

You can also disable Auto-rotate screen from the Android Quick Settings panel or via:

Settings → Display → Auto-rotate screen → Off

If the application is forced into landscape mode, it may revert to its default operating mode. If this happens, simply press REMOTE or DIRECT again to restore the selected operating mode.

Disabling Samsung Labs and keeping Auto-rotate screen turned off helps prevent unexpected orientation changes and provides the best user experience with BSM Time Sync.

BSM Time Sync supports both portrait and landscape orientation. However, for the best user experience and the most reliable operation, portrait mode is recommended.

On most Android devices, BSM Time Sync remains in portrait mode as intended. Only some Samsung devices running Android 16 with Samsung Labs enabled can override this behavior and force the application into landscape mode.