Somfy publishes the 506S2 Standard at 6 Nm and 32 rpm, with a minimum tube inner diameter of 1.85 in. Installers reach for this reference when a roller shade needs a quiet 120V motor and the building already carries low-voltage switch runs or a relay panel. The motor holds no radio receiver. Control arrives on four conductors, and that single fact shapes every other choice on the order.
Tube clearance decides this motor
Somfy lists a motor diameter of 1.97 in against a minimum internal tube diameter of 1.85 in for reference 1001814. The second figure governs the order. Measure the inside of the tube you plan to use, not the outside, and compare it against that 1.85 in floor. A 2.5 in round aluminum tube clears the motor body with room for the crown to seat.
Crown and drive come as a matched pair. The crown locates the idle end of the motor inside the tube and holds the body from spinning. The drive clamps to the tube wall and carries the torque. Somfy sizes both to the tube profile, so a 2.5 in round tube takes the LT50 2.5" Crown (9707026) with the LT50 2.5" Hard Clip Drive (9206019). Mixing a crown from one profile with a drive from another leaves the motor loose in the tube and the shade out of square.
Unwrapped motor length runs 24.25 in. Add the bracket depth at each end when you cut the tube, and leave the fabric width inside the finished roll.
Shades the 506S2 Standard drives
Somfy names four applications for this reference: interior window coverings, exterior solar screens, roller shades and projection screens. The 6 Nm rating puts it in the middle of the Sonesse 50 range, above the 4 Nm interior motors and below the 10 Nm and 15 Nm references that handle wide commercial glass.
Noise sets this platform apart. Somfy publishes 45 dB for the 506S2, which keeps a conference room or a bedroom usable while the shade travels. Somfy engineered the Sonesse gearbox for occupied interior space, and the rating holds across the range.
The IP 44 rating and the -4 to 140 F operating window let the motor work behind an exterior solar screen in a protected pocket. Class I insulation means the installer bonds the ground conductor at the head end.
Verified specs from Somfy
| Specification | Published figure |
|---|---|
| Somfy reference | 1001814 |
| Official name | 506S2 SONESSE 6/32 SJTW 3M UNI |
| Torque | 6 Nm (53 in-lb) |
| Speed | 32 rpm |
| Power supply | 120V / 60 Hz, 108 to 132 V |
| Current | 1.2 A |
| Power in operation | 140 W |
| Standby power | 0 W |
| Noise level | 45 dB |
| Protection rating | IP 44 |
| Insulation class | Class I |
| Head type | Star |
| Motor diameter | 1.97 in |
| External diameter | 1.77 in |
| Minimum tube inner diameter | 1.85 in |
| Unwrapped length | 24.25 in |
| Limit switch | Mechanical, 46 turn capacity |
| Cable | SJTW, 4 conductor, 9.84 ft, stripped ends |
| Operating temperature | -4 to 140 F |
| Storage temperature | -4 to 176 F |
| Thermal protection | 4 min |
| Weight | 4.75 lb |
| Approval | UR |
| Warranty | 5 years |
Figures come from Somfy's e-catalogue entry for reference 1001814. The store spec table prints the tube size as 50mm, which describes the motor family rather than the 1.85 in inner diameter a fabricator needs, so work from the table above when you cut tube.
Star head brackets and the mount
Somfy builds this reference with a star head, and the head shape picks the bracket. The LT50 Star Head Motor Bracket (9410651) receives the four-point star and pins it against rotation. Installers working inside a tight pocket often choose the LT50 Universal Bracket with Spring Clip (9420631) instead, which holds the head with a clip and shortens the drop-in time on a ladder.
Check the head shape before ordering brackets for a replacement job. A CMO head and a star head both live in the LT50 family and neither bracket carries the other. Reference 1001814 is the star.
Wiring four conductors and setting limits
The motor ships with a 9.84 ft SJTW lead, four conductors, stripped ends. The pair that reverses direction runs through the switch or the relay contact, the neutral returns, and the ground bonds to the head. An electrician terminates the lead in a junction box near the head bracket, since Somfy supplies the cable stripped rather than plugged.
Longer runs need a second length rather than a splice inside the pocket. The Sonesse 50 and LT50/LT60 SJTW 4C Cable, 10 ft (9018345) matches the conductor count and the jacket rating Somfy specifies for this platform, which keeps the installation inside warranty.
Limits on this reference are mechanical, with a 46 turn capacity. The installer turns the adjusters at the head end and jogs the shade to each stop until the fabric lands where the drawing says. Mechanical limits hold their position through a power outage and need no controller to program, which is part of why specifiers keep choosing wired Sonesse motors for large installations. Somfy's 500 Series Databook carries the step order for the adjusters, and the linked PDF on the product page opens to the same procedure.
This reference inside the Sonesse 50 range
Somfy builds the 506S2 in several control flavors on one gearbox. Buyers who want radio control from a Situo remote order the RTS version. Buyers on a commercial bus order the RS485 version and address the motor from a controller. Our guides cover both: the 506S2 RTS guide and the 506S2 RS485 SDN guide both use the same LT50 crown, drive and bracket hardware described here.
The Standard version earns its place where the control system already exists. A relay output, a dry contact from a building panel or a maintained wall switch all drive it without a gateway, a hub or a pairing step. Somfy's five year warranty covers the motor either way.
Order the motor here: Somfy Sonesse 506S2 Standard 120V 4-Wire Motor (1001814). Add the crown and drive for your tube profile in the same order, since a motor without them cannot reach the tube wall.
Frequently asked questions
What tube fits the Somfy 506S2 Standard?
Somfy publishes a 1.85 in minimum inner diameter for reference 1001814. Any tube with at least that much clearance takes the motor once you add the matched crown and drive for the profile. A 2.5 in round aluminum tube is the common pairing on interior roller shades, and the LT50 2.5 in crown and hard clip drive fit it.
Can this motor work with a Somfy remote?
Reference 1001814 carries no radio receiver, and the four conductor lead expects a wired switch or a relay contact. Buyers who want a handheld remote order the RTS version of the same 506S2 gearbox, which holds the receiver inside the motor head and pairs to a Situo transmitter without extra wiring.
How do installers set the limits?
The 506S2 Standard uses mechanical limits with a 46 turn capacity. The installer reaches the adjusters at the head end, jogs the shade toward each stop and turns the adjuster until the fabric lands on the mark. Somfy's 500 Series Databook gives the step order, and the limits survive a power loss.
Which bracket carries a star head motor?
The LT50 Star Head Motor Bracket (9410651) receives the four point star on this reference and stops the motor body from turning. The LT50 Universal Bracket with Spring Clip (9420631) holds the same head and speeds up a drop-in install. A CMO bracket will not carry a star head, so confirm the head shape on the motor you receive.
Shade Motors Direct is an authorized source for genuine Somfy motorized window shade, blind, and drapery parts.
