Reader BT

Reader BT is a compact, battery-powered Bluetooth® reader for wireless readout of SPORTident Cards. It reads data from SI-Cards and transfers it wirelessly via Bluetooth Low Energy to laptops, smartphones or tablets.

For those situations where a laptop or even phone feels like too much, Reader BT prints split times and results directly to a SPORTident Printer 2.

Reader BT comes in a carbon black BSF-9 housing. Existing BSF-9 holders can be used to mount the station.

Getting started

Connect to your device

Reader BT connects wirelessly via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). To establish a connection:

Enable Bluetooth on your device (Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, or Linux).
Open your application software that supports BLE connectivity.
Activate Bluetooth connection mode on Reader BT. Insert the “Service/OFF” instruction card into Reader BT. Reader BT confirms the card with two short beeps. The red LED then flashes at 1-second intervals for 20 seconds. Reader BT can be connected to via Bluetooth during this period.
Search for available devices in the application software’s Bluetooth scanning function.
Select “Reader BT” from the list of discovered devices. The shown name includes the Reader BT serial number so you can pick the correct unit.
Confirm connection. Reader BT confirms a successful connection with one long beep. Once connected, the red LED starts flashing at 7-second intervals.

You can now use Reader BT with your application software, typically by inserting SI-Cards and reading them into the software.

To disconnect Reader BT from your device, insert the “Service/OFF” instruction card into Reader BT or use the appropriate function in the application software’s connection settings. Reader BT disconnects automatically after 10 hours of inactivity to preserve battery life. Reader BT confirms the termination of the connection with two long beeps.

The next time you want to connect Reader BT to your device, you can also insert any regular SI-Card to activate Bluetooth connection mode, see operating mode for details.

Connect to a printer

Reader BT can print directly to a SPORTident Printer 2.

Note that SPORTident Printer (version 1) will not work. The version of the printer can be identified by the product name on the backside label.

To establish a connection between Reader BT and SPORTident Printer 2:

Place Reader BT directly to the right of Printer 2
Switch on the printer
Insert the “Print results” instruction card into Reader BT once. Reader BT confirms the card with two short beeps. Upon a successful connection, Reader BT then issues one long beep and the printer prints the SPORTident logo.

You can now read out SPORTident Cards by inserting them into Reader BT. The printer prints the details of the cards.

In case of an error, for example, if no printer is found, Reader BT issues four short beeps. In such a case, make sure that the printer is switched on and located next to Reader BT.

You can insert the “Print results” instruction card and the printer will print basic results with automatic course matching for all SPORTident Cards read out in the active sessions (i.e. since connecting to the printer).

To disconnect Reader BT and SPORTident Printer 2, switch off the printer or, alternatively, insert the “Service/OFF” instruction card into Reader BT. Reader BT confirms the termination of the connection with two long beeps.

The next time you want to connect to the printer, you can also insert any regular SI-Card to establish the connection, see operating mode for details.

Use Reader BT standalone

Reader BT can also be used separately without an actively connected user device to collect data from SI-Cards. In this case, read out cards are stored in the backup memory and can be retrieved at a later point in time with an application software.

To use Reader BT standalone:

Use the Config App to set the operating mode to standalone
Read out cards by inserting them into Reader BT. Reader BT confirms each card with two short beeps.
Use the Config App’s backup memory page or another application software with backup memory support to retrieve the readout data.

Hardware and software requirements

Reader BT uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) radio communication and therefore requires BLE support, which most devices have today. On older laptops or desktop computers that do not have BLE support, it can be added using a USB Bluetooth adapter dongle. BLE is supported by all common operating systems and does not require separate drivers. Thus, Reader BT can be used with Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Linux devices. The application software used must support BLE and the Reader BT data exchange protocol.

Supported cards

The SPORTident Reader BT supports the following SPORTident cards:

Feedback

Reader BT has two LEDs and a buzzer. The yellow LED on the right communicates events whereas the red LED on the left communicates the connection status. The yellow LED is synchronised with the buzzer, i.e. they always flash and beep at the same time.

Event feedback:

Two short flashes & beeps: OK
Four short flashes & beeps: Error
One long flash & beep: Connection established
Two long flashes & beeps: Connection terminated

How exactly event feedback is given depends on the device status and on the application sofware used.

Connection feedback:

Flashing with 1-second intervals: Bluetooth connection mode (ready to connect)
Flashing with 7-second intervals: Connected

Operating mode

Reader BT supports three operating modes:

Readout: Read out SI-Cards to a connected device such as a laptop or mobile phone
Printout: Read out SI-Cards and print them on a connected SPORTident Printer 2
Standalone: Read out SI-Cards and store them in Reader BT’s backup memory for later retrieval

Reader BT always stores read out cards in its backup memory — also in readout and printout mode.

Set the operating mode

The operating mode is persistent. In other words, the operating mode remains unchanged until explicitly switched to another mode.

The operating mode is set via the Config App and in addition:

The “Service/OFF” instruction card switches the reader to readout mode and activates Bluetooth connection mode for 20 seconds
The “Print results” instruction card switches the reader to printout mode and starts scanning for a printer

Switching between operating modes while a device or printer is connected always terminates the current connection.

Use regular SI-Cards

Inserting any regular (non-instruction) SI-Card while Reader BT is not connected automatically starts the connection process for readout or printout mode. This allows Reader BT to be used without inserting the “Service/OFF” or “Print results” instruction card first:

In readout mode, inserting an SI-Card starts Bluetooth connection mode so that reader can connect to the application software running on a laptop or mobile phone
In printout mode, inserting an SI-Card starts scanning for a printer so that reader can connect to a switched on, nearby Printer 2
In standalone mode, inserting an SI-Card reads the card and stores it in backup memory only; no BLE connection is started

In practice this means that if Reader BT is always used in the same mode (e.g. with an app on a phone, for printout with Printer 2, or standalone) no instruction cards are needed for regular operation.

Configuration

Reader BT can be configured with the Config App (version 1.12.0 or newer), which is available for Android and iOS.

To connect Reader BT to the Config App, follow Connect to your device. On the Config App connection page, start scanning and select your Reader BT from the list.

Settings

The Settings page displays device information and allows you to change the following settings:

Station Number: An identification number (sometimes also referred to as code number) which is sent to the application software when reading data from the card
Operating Mode: Set the operating mode
Autosend: In readout mode, determines whether SI-Cards are read out automatically by Reader BT or whether the application software needs to trigger the readout

Readout

By selecting the Readout page, you can read data from SI-Cards. If Full Readout is selected, in addition to the punches, the card owner information and production information (if available) are read. The read data is displayed on this page.

Backup memory

The data of the read cards is always saved in the backup memory by sessions. Each new connection creates a new session. The Backup Memory page displays the sessions by pages (5 sessions at a time). The latest sessions are at the top and the latest session is the currently active session. To view session data:

Select a session from the list
Tap Fetch Selected Session
After successful download, tap View Session Data to see the card list

Firmware

The firmware page allows you to update the device’s firmware. By opening this page, you can check if there is a newer firmware version. If there is a newer version, you can download it and update the Reader BT firmware. After updating the firmware, the device will restart and must be reconnected. Do not switch pages or close the app during the update.

Specification

Property	Details
Battery type	1 x Lithium ½ AA cell, non-rechargeable
Battery capacity	1000 mAh
Battery life	Typically 10 years
Battery exchange	By SPORTident GmbH and authorised service points
Operating range	-20°C to +50°C
International protection class	IP 64 (DIN EN 60529) Protection against penetration of dust Protection against splashed water from all directions
Dimensions	112 mm x 57 mm x 21 mm
Weight	85 g
Backup memory	3 MB Up to 2,500 readouts for full cards (128 punches per card, full card data) Up to 18,000 readouts for typical cards (20 punches per card, minimal card data) Maximum of 291 sessions, old sessions will be overwritten when full
RFID	125 kHz RFID system, low power output
Connectivity	Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.2

Firmware Changelog

2.0.0 (2026-09-15)

Introduced READOUT, PRINTOUT, and STANDALONE operating modes, making Reader BT easier to use for card readout via BLE, printing readouts on a SPORTident Printer 2, and standalone local storage; a new per-connection AUTOSEND setting now controls automatic card readout in READOUT mode
Reader BT now keeps a record of battery consumption and exposes the battery level as a percentage via the standard Bluetooth SIG Battery Service (BAS)
Fix: Reader BT silently went to sleep when it scanned and found a SPORTident Printer, but connection could not be established

1.1.1 (2026-08-21)

Improved Reader BT buzzer and LED feedback signals (e.g., indicating Bluetooth connection and disconnection).
Fix: Reader BT could not connect to SPORTident printers with firmware revision date 11-Sep-2024.

1.1.0 (2026-06-24)

Important: After installing this update, all backup session data will be erased.

Added ability to print “Results” using the “Print Results” card when SI Reader BT is connected to the SI Printer 2
Improved performance of card readout printing when SI Reader BT is connected to the printer
Resolved LF125 read hangs by implementing a supervisor timer with error feedback on timeout
Added LF Interface testing support for production
Enhanced SI Reader BT feedback signals