A 9 Nm motor gives you headroom on wide interior shades. That headroom counts for nothing if the tube refuses the motor. The Somfy Sonesse 40 Zigbee 409R2 needs 1.46 inches of clear internal tube diameter, and Somfy rates it at 9 Nm and 14 rpm. Measure the tube first.
Torque and speed on the 409R2
Somfy publishes 9 Nm for this reference, which converts to 80 in-lb, at 14 rpm. Torque and speed trade against each other across the Sonesse 40 range, and the 409R2 takes the high-torque end of it. A wide blackout roll that stalls a smaller motor will turn on this one. The slower 14 rpm travel also reads as deliberate in a conference room or a media room, where a shade that snaps down draws the eye.
Somfy carries the torque inside the reference name. The 09 in 409R2 reads as 9 Nm, the same way 404S2 reads as 4 Nm. Installers who order across the 400 Series get used to that shorthand, and it saves a trip back to the databook when a job sheet lists nothing but a part number.
The body measures 1.57 inches across and 21.46 inches long unwrapped. Somfy sets the minimum internal tube diameter at 1.46 inches, or 37 mm. A 40 mm octagonal tube clears that with room for the drive to seat. Measure the clear internal dimension of the tube on your bench, not the nominal size stamped on the extrusion, because a welded seam or a powder coat eats into the bore.
Shades this motor suits
Somfy names interior blinds and shades plus projection screens for the 409R2. Inside that brief, 9 Nm earns its place on wide openings and dense fabric. Blackout rollers past 96 inches, dual-roller assemblies sharing one headrail, woven woods with a heavy hem bar, and projection screens carrying a weighted bottom all sit in range.
IP 31 keeps this motor indoors. Exterior solar screens and awnings belong to Somfy families built and rated for weather, the Sunea and Maestria lines among them. Class II insulation means the motor carries double insulation rather than a ground path, which shapes how your electrician terminates the feed.
Sound matters on an interior job. Somfy measures this motor at 40 dB, quiet enough that a shade cycling behind a seated audience stays out of the way of speech. Somfy offers the round head in white, black and grey, so the visible end of the assembly can match the headrail hardware instead of fighting it.
Verified specifications
| Torque | 9 Nm (80 in-lb) |
| Speed | 14 rpm |
| Control | Zigbee 3.0 |
| Power supply | 120V AC, 60 Hz |
| Current | 1 A |
| Power consumption | 120 W running, 0.05 W standby |
| Sound level | 40 dB |
| Ingress protection | IP 31 |
| Insulation class | Class II |
| Head type | Round |
| External diameter | 1.57 in |
| Minimum tube internal diameter | 1.46 in (37 mm) |
| Length, unwrapped | 21.46 in |
| Limit switches | Electronic, 250 turn capacity |
| Cable | SVT, 1.64 ft, Fast Connector plugs |
| Operating temperature | 32 to 140 F |
| Storage temperature | -4 to 167 F |
| Thermal protection | 4 min |
| Applications | Interior blinds and shades, projection screens |
| Certification | UL, FCC |
| Warranty | 5 years |
Crowns, drives and tube for a 40 mm assembly
Pair the motor with a crown and drive matched to the tube profile you are running. The Somfy LS40 Crown and Drive Set covers standard 40 mm round tube and is the set most interior jobs start from. For octagonal tube, the Somfy LS40 Octagonal Rubberized Crown and Drive Set grips the flats and damps the buzz a bare steel drive passes into the fabric.
Somfy's own 40 mm octagonal tube ships by the foot in 20 foot increments, which lets a shop cut to opening width and keep the offcuts for small units. Octagonal tube also stops the fabric roll creeping on the tube over thousands of cycles, because the drive keys into the flats rather than relying on friction.
At the two ends of the assembly, the Somfy RollEase 2 inch SkyLine Universal Motor Bracket and Idler Bracket carries the roll inside a SkyLine headrail. Order both ends together. A bracket that fits the headrail but not the motor head costs a second trip to the job.
Zigbee 3.0 control and the TaHoma path
This motor speaks Zigbee 3.0. Each mains-powered node on a Zigbee network repeats for its neighbors, so a shade at the far end of a long floor plate reaches the hub through the shades between it. That property pays off in commercial work, where a run of twenty shades down a curtain wall builds its own mesh as you commission it.
Somfy's TaHoma app drives the motor, reports live position, and holds scenes and schedules. Position feedback matters on a projection screen, where a partial stop at a fixed drop needs to land in the same place every time. Voice control through Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Apple Home routes through the TaHoma switch, which also bridges the Zigbee network to a home automation system.
An RTS remote will not drive this motor. Pair it with Zigbee control gear and commission it from the app.
Power, the Fast Connector and limit setting
The 409R2 runs on 120V at 60 Hz, draws 1 A, and pulls 120 W under load. Standby sits at 0.05 W, which keeps a wall of shades off the energy budget between cycles. Somfy fits an SVT pigtail 1.64 feet long, terminated in Fast Connector plugs. The connector shortens hookup at the bracket and keeps the joint serviceable, so a motor swap years from now does not mean cutting and splicing inside a headrail.
Plan the power drop close to the motor end. A 1.64 foot tail does not reach across a ceiling, and the electrician needs a junction within arm's reach of the bracket. Confirm the connector style against the motor you receive before you pre-build the whips for a floor.
Limits are electronic with a 250 turn capacity, set from the TaHoma app or a Zigbee controller rather than by screwdriver. Thermal protection cuts in after 4 minutes of continuous run, which is generous next to the 30 seconds a tall shade takes. The motor operates between 32 and 140 F and stores between -4 and 167 F, so a winter warehouse will not hurt stock waiting for install.
Frequently asked questions
What tube fits the Sonesse 40 Zigbee 409R2?
Somfy sets the minimum internal tube diameter at 1.46 inches, or 37 mm. A 40 mm octagonal or round tube clears that. Measure the clear bore of the tube you plan to use, since seams and coatings reduce it. Match the crown and drive to the tube profile rather than to the motor.
Can I control this motor with an RTS remote?
No. The 409R2 uses Zigbee 3.0, and RTS transmitters run a different radio. Drive it from the TaHoma app, a TaHoma switch, or another Zigbee 3.0 controller. Somfy's Zigbee mesh gives you position feedback that RTS does not carry, which is one reason specifiers pick it for commercial work.
How much shade will 9 Nm lift?
Capacity depends on tube diameter and fabric weight together, since torque works against the radius of the roll. At 9 Nm the 409R2 sits at the top of the Sonesse 40 range and handles wide blackout rollers, dual assemblies and weighted projection screens. Size the motor from the finished roll, not the opening width alone.
Does the Fast Connector need a special cable?
The motor ships with an SVT pigtail 1.64 feet long ending in Fast Connector plugs, so the mating lead has to match that connector. Confirm the connector on the motor you receive before building whips for a whole floor. Keep the junction box within reach of the bracket, because the tail is short.
The Somfy Sonesse 40 409R2 Zigbee 3.0 Motor ships as a motor alone. Add the crown and drive for your tube profile, the tube itself if you are cutting from stock, and a bracket set matched to the headrail. Build the order in that sequence and the assembly goes together on the bench in one pass.
Shade Motors Direct is an authorized source for genuine Somfy motorized window shade, blind, and drapery parts.
