Somfy Simu T5 15 Nm 12V DC Motor Fit and Wiring Guide

Installers reach for the Somfy Simu T5 15 Nm 12V DC motor when a shading job gives them no 120V circuit at the tube. Somfy rates reference 2004492 at 15 Nm and 15 rpm on a 12V DC supply. Battery banks, solar charge controllers and plug-in DC transformers all drive it. The motor carries the T5 round pin head, so it seats in the same brackets and takes the same aluminum drives as the 120V T5 operators that Somfy has shipped for years.

Low-voltage shading work this motor suits

Somfy lists four applications for reference 2004492. Awnings come first, and a 15 Nm unit on a 2 in tube covers a mid-size lateral arm or cassette awning. Exterior solar screens follow, where the fabric weight stays low and the tube length drives the torque choice. Interior window coverings sit in the same band. Rolling shutters round out the list, though a heavy aluminum curtain pushes installers toward the 35 Nm unit in the same DC family.

The DC supply changes the jobs this motor wins. A detached pergola with no trenched conduit runs it from a sealed battery and a small panel. Marine and RV shading work the same way. Site crews who cannot pull line voltage to a soffit wire a 12V run instead and keep the install inside low-voltage code. Somfy covers the motor for five years.

Verified Simu T5 DC specifications

Every figure below comes from Somfy's published data for reference 2004492 and from the Somfy specification block on the product listing.

Two numbers decide most orders. The 15 Nm rating sets the fabric weight and tube length the motor will lift, and the 28-turn limit capacity sets the maximum drop. Count the tube revolutions your finished shade needs from full open to full close, then confirm the figure sits under 28. A tall rolling shutter on a small tube eats turns fast.

Tube, crown and drive fit

The T5 body takes a crown and a drive wheel sized to the tube profile you roll. Somfy builds matched sets across the common sizes, and the fit depends on the tube shape rather than the motor. Pick the pair that matches your tube and the motor does the rest.

For a 60 mm round tube, use the Somfy T5/T6 60 mm round aluminum drive. A 70 mm octagonal tube takes the T5/T6 70 mm octagonal aluminum drive. Simbac tube at 85 mm round pairs with the Simu T5/T6 85 mm round Simbac drive wheel. Somfy also names LT50 crowns and drives across the 2 in, 2.5 in, DS 78 mm and 60 mm octagonal profiles, which widens the tube choice on retrofit work where the tube stays and the motor changes.

Add a drive stop and screw where the drive needs to lock against the tube. Crews who skip it see the drive creep under load on long awning projections.

Brackets for the round pin head

The round pin head seats in the T5 bracket range. The Simu T5 operator bracket 80 mm x 80 mm square handles the common awning cassette and the square pocket most fabricators build. Somfy also lists 100 mm x 100 mm plates, a 48 mm bracket and pin mounts for the same head, so the head fits a range of pocket depths.

Measure the pocket before you order the bracket. The bracket face sets the motor centerline, and a mismatch there throws the fabric off the tube centerline by the same amount. Dry fit the head in the bracket on the bench, confirm the pins land square, and only then mount the assembly in the pocket.

Wiring the 12V supply and setting the limits

The 4-conductor cable carries up and down on separate conductors plus common and ground. Wire the motor to a momentary DC switch or a DC control module and keep the two direction conductors on separate contacts. Never bridge up and down together. The 8.2 ft lead covers most pocket-to-switch runs, and an electrician extends it in low-voltage cable sized for the 2.3 A draw.

Voltage drop matters more on DC than on line voltage. A long thin run starves the motor and the torque falls off with it. Size the conductor for the distance, hold the supply inside the 9V to 15V window, and the motor delivers its rated 15 Nm. Short runs in 18 AWG are fine. Longer runs need heavier wire.

The mechanical limit switches set with the two adjusting screws on the head. Run the shade to the position you want, turn the matching screw until the motor stops, then test the travel through a full cycle. Mechanical limits hold their setting through a power loss, which keeps a battery-fed install predictable after a flat battery.

Reference 2004492 ships with no onboard radio receiver. Control comes from the wired side: a momentary switch, a dry contact output from a building system, or an external DC receiver wired between the supply and the motor. Confirm the receiver you choose carries a DC rating that matches the 12V supply and the 2.3 A draw before you order it.

Builders who want radio control on a 12V job pair the motor with an external DC receiver and keep the motor wiring unchanged. Builders who already run a low-voltage control panel land the motor on a channel and drive it from the panel. The wired head keeps both doors open.

Parts that finish the kit

Order the Simu T5 15 Nm 12V DC motor (2004492) with the crown and drive for your tube and the bracket for your pocket. Most 12V awning builds leave with the motor, the 80 mm square T5 bracket and a drive matched to the tube, and the crew wires the switch on site.

Buyers stepping up in torque on the same DC platform move to the 20 Nm and 35 Nm units in 12V and 24V. The head, the brackets and the drives carry across the family, so a torque change late in a project costs the motor alone.

Frequently asked questions

What torque and speed does the Somfy Simu T5 2004492 deliver?

Somfy rates reference 2004492 at 15 Nm, which converts to 133 in-lb, at 15 rpm on a 12V DC supply. The motor draws 2.3 A and 61 W while it runs, and 0 W at rest. That torque band suits mid-size awnings, exterior solar screens and interior window coverings on standard tube sizes.

Which power supply does this 12V DC motor need?

The motor accepts 12V DC with a working input range of 9V to 15V. Size the supply for the 2.3 A rated current plus headroom, and size the conductor for the run length so voltage drop keeps the motor inside that window. Sealed batteries, solar charge controllers and plug-in DC transformers all work.

How many limit turns does the Simu T5 DC hold?

The mechanical limit switches hold 28 turns of tube rotation between the open and closed stops. Count the revolutions your finished shade travels and confirm the total sits under 28 before you order. Mechanical limits keep their setting through a power interruption, which suits battery-fed installs.

Does the motor include a radio receiver?

Reference 2004492 arrives as a wired motor with a 4-conductor lead and no onboard receiver. Control it from a momentary DC switch, a dry contact output, or an external DC receiver rated for 12V. The wired head lets a crew change the control method later without touching the motor.

Shade Motors Direct is an authorized source for genuine Somfy motorized window shade, blind, and drapery parts.