The Somfy 510S2 carries 10 Nm at 38 rpm on 120V house power, with four conductors out of the head and no radio inside. Installers reach for it on exterior solar screens and interior roller shades that a wall switch or a relay will drive. Reference 1038171 covers the star head version with an SJTW cable. Pair it with the crown, drive and bracket that match your tube.
Tube diameter decides this motor
Somfy builds the 510S2 on the LT50 platform. The motor body measures 1.97 inches across and needs a tube with at least 1.85 inches of clear inside diameter. A 2 inch profiled roller tube takes it. A 2.5 inch aluminum tube takes it once the matching crown and drive sit on the ends. Measure the inside of the tube rather than the outside, because wall thickness changes between extrusions and a thick-wall tube can close the gap you need.
Torque sets the second limit. At 10 Nm this motor lifts mid-weight solar screen mesh and interior roller fabric on a 2.5 inch tube. Wider exterior openings with heavy fabric move up the same wired standard line to the 20 Nm 520R2 or the 30 Nm 530R2, and every piece of mounting hardware carries over. Sizing down costs you travel speed under load and shortens motor life, so match the torque to the finished shade weight and the tube span.
Shades and screens the 510S2 drives
Somfy lists this reference for exterior solar screens and interior window coverings. Retractable insect screens sit on the same application list. Commercial solar screen banks lean on the wired standard range because the control sits in a panel rather than in a handheld remote. A porch insect screen runs the same way off a maintained switch. An interior roller shade on a 2.5 inch tube behaves no differently once the limits sit where you want them.
Somfy rates the motor IP 44, which suits a screen head inside a sheltered exterior pocket or a fascia. Keep it clear of standing water and direct spray. The 38 rpm speed moves a tall screen without the long wait you get from a 14 rpm awning motor, and it stays quiet enough for an occupied room at 60 dB.
Verified specs for reference 1038171
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Torque / Speed | 10 Nm (88.5 in-lb) / 38 rpm |
| Power supply | 120V AC, 60 Hz |
| Consumption during operation | 150 W |
| Consumption in standby | 0 W |
| Noise level | 60 dB |
| Protection index | IP 44 |
| Head type | Star head, standard 4-wire |
| Limits | Mechanical, 46 turns |
| Minimum tube inside diameter | 1.85 in |
| Motor diameter | 1.97 in |
| Cable | SJTW, 4 conductor |
| Applications | Exterior solar screens, interior window coverings, retractable insect screens |
| Approval | UR |
| Warranty | 5 years |
These figures come from Somfy's published data for reference 1038171 and for the LT50 wired standard platform it sits on. The 0 W standby draw matters on a project with twenty screens on one panel, because a wired standard motor stops drawing current the moment it reaches a limit.
Crowns, drives and brackets that fit
The crown centers the motor inside the tube and the drive wheel transfers rotation to it. A bracket carries the head to the structure. Get the crown and drive as a matched pair for your tube profile, since a round crown will not hold an octagonal tube and the reverse holds too.
For a 2.5 inch round tube, the Somfy LT50 2.5" Round Crown and Drive Set (9012231) is the standard pairing. An octagonal 70 mm tube takes the Somfy Octagonal LT50 70mm Crown and Drive Set (9012234) instead. Check the profile of the tube already in your headbox before you order either one, because the two sets do not interchange.
The head needs a bracket cut for a star head. The Somfy LT50 Star Head Motor Bracket (9410651) seats the star directly and locks the motor against rotation. A mounting surface that fights the standard hole pattern takes the Somfy LT50 Universal Motor Bracket (9410665) instead, which gives you more positions to work with. Either one carries the 10 Nm this motor produces without flex.
Wiring and control for a 4-wire motor
Four conductors leave the head on an SJTW cable. Two of them carry travel commands, one returns neutral and one grounds the motor. Energize one travel conductor and the shade runs up. Energize the other and it runs down. Nothing inside the motor listens for radio, so the control device decides everything about how the shade behaves.
A maintained rocker switch gives you the simplest path: hold for travel, release to stop. A momentary switch wired through a Somfy motor controller or a third-party relay panel gives you group control and timed events from a building system. Pre-construction jobs favor this motor for that reason. Run the cable while the walls sit open and the control choice stays flexible for years.
Radio or app control on a wired motor arrives through an interface ahead of the motor rather than a remote paired to the motor itself. Confirm the interface against the motor you receive and against the number of channels your project needs before you buy the control hardware.
Limit setting and install notes
Mechanical limits hold 46 turns of travel on this motor. Set them at the head before the fabric goes onto the tube, then adjust once the hem bar hangs free and you can see where it lands against the sill. Rotation direction follows which side of the opening the motor sits on, so dry fit the assembly and run it once before you commit the brackets to the structure.
Cut the tube to the opening, deburr the ends, and seat the crown and drive square. A crown that sits crooked puts side load on the motor and you will hear it. Support a wide tube with an intermediate bracket near the center to keep deflection out of the fabric. Leave service loop in the cable at the head. A technician replacing this motor in ten years will want the slack.
Questions buyers ask about the 510S2
What tube size does the Somfy 510S2 need?
The motor needs a tube with a minimum inside diameter of 1.85 inches. Its body measures 1.97 inches across. A 2 inch profiled roller tube and a 2.5 inch aluminum tube both work with the matching crown and drive set for that profile. Measure the inside diameter of your tube, not the outside.
Does the 510S2 work with a Somfy remote?
No radio receiver sits inside this motor. It answers to wired control from a switch, a Somfy motor controller or a relay panel. Remote and app control reach it through an interface wired ahead of the motor. Buyers who want a remote paired to the motor itself choose an RTS version from the same LT50 range.
How much weight will 10 Nm lift?
Torque capacity depends on the tube diameter as much as the motor, because a larger tube gives the fabric a longer moment arm against the motor. The 510S2 at 10 Nm handles mid-weight solar screen mesh and interior roller fabric on a 2.5 inch tube. Calculate the finished shade weight and tube diameter together, then size the motor from that figure.
Which bracket fits a star head motor?
A star head needs a bracket machined for the star profile. The LT50 Star Head Motor Bracket (9410651) seats it directly. The LT50 Universal Motor Bracket (9410665) covers installs where the mounting surface needs a different hole pattern. Round head and CMO brackets will not hold a star head motor.
Buy the Somfy 510S2 120V 4-Wire Motor (1038171) with the crown and drive set for your tube profile and a star head bracket in the same order. The natural part to add next is the cable run: an SJTW 4-conductor cable at the length your panel location calls for keeps the install to one trip.
Shade Motors Direct is an authorized source for genuine Somfy motorized window shade, blind, and drapery parts.
