Quick answer: A Somfy tubular motor is a cylinder-shaped motor that slides inside the roller tube of a shade, awning or screen. A crown and drive couple it to the tube, and a bracket holds its head while stored limits stop it at top and bottom. Pick one by tube inside diameter first, torque second, then power and control.
Open the end of a motorized roller shade and you will find the motor hidden inside the tube it turns. Somfy builds its tubular motors in diameter classes from 28 mm to 60 mm, with torque from about 1 Nm for a small battery shade to 80 Nm for a large exterior awning. The right one for your window comes down to the tube you already have and the weight it has to lift.
The motor lives inside the tube
A tubular motor packs the electric motor, gearbox, brake and limit electronics into one slim cylinder. The installer slides it into the roller tube, and only the motor head stays outside, clipped into the end bracket. The head stays still. The tube spins around the motor body.
Somfy uses this layout across interior roller shades, solar screens, cellular and Roman shade headrails, exterior awnings, zip screens and rolling shutters. The family name changes with the job. Sonesse covers quiet interior shading, Altus RTS and the LT50 and LT60 platforms cover exterior work, and WireFree covers battery motors.
Four parts turn a motor into a working shade
The motor body floats inside the tube. Two small adapters link it to the tube wall, and a bracket holds the head.
- Crown. A ring on the motor's idle end that centres the motor inside the tube. Somfy's Sonesse 30 databook states that a crown adapter between the motor and the tube is required for concentric operation.
- Drive. A wheel on the output shaft that keys into the tube's inner profile and carries the torque.
- Head and bracket. The motor head clips into a bracket that matches its shape. The Sonesse 50 506S2 and the LT50 Altus motors carry a star head. The Sonesse 40 404S2 carries a round head.
- Idler. The far end of the tube rides on a plain pin and end cap.
Crowns and drives are tube-specific. A 2 in round tube and a 2 in profiled tube take different drives, which is why Somfy sells the Somfy LT50 2" Hard Clip Drive (9206088) for one tube profile and separate parts for others. Our guide to Somfy crowns, drives and brackets walks through the full matching process.
Diameter classes and the torque each one carries
The number in a Somfy family name tells you the motor's diameter class. The model code tells you the torque. In 506S2, the 06 means 6 Nm. Our Somfy model code guide decodes the rest of the label.
| 28 mm class | Sonesse 28 WireFree Zigbee (1241755): 1.1 Nm (9.7 in-lb), 20 rpm, rechargeable Li-ion |
| 30 mm class | Sonesse 30 RTS 24V DC (1241142): 2 Nm (17.7 in-lb), 24V DC |
| 40 mm class | Sonesse 40 RTS 404S2 (1240380): 4 Nm (35 in-lb), 36 rpm, 120V AC, 60Hz. Minimum tube ID 1.46 in (37 mm) |
| 50 mm class, interior | Sonesse 506S2 RTS (1001809): 6 Nm (53 in-lb), 32 rpm, 120V. Minimum tube ID 1.85 in (47 mm) |
| 50 mm class, exterior | Altus RTS 525A2 (1043423): 25 Nm (221 in-lb), 20 rpm, 120V. Minimum tube ID 1.85 in (47 mm) |
| 60 mm class | LT60 680R2 Altus RTS (1164261): 80 Nm (704 in-lb), 14 rpm, 120V AC, 60Hz. Minimum tube ID 2.37 in |
Two patterns stand out. Torque climbs fast as the diameter grows, and speed tends to drop as torque rises. A bigger tube also rolls more fabric per turn, so a 60 mm awning motor at 14 rpm still moves a large canopy at a useful pace. For a side-by-side of the interior range, read Sonesse 28 vs 30 vs 40 vs 50.
AC, DC and WireFree power
Somfy sells tubular motors on three power paths, and the choice shapes the whole install.
Line voltage AC. The wired Sonesse 40 and 50 motors and the LT50 and LT60 exterior motors run on 120V AC, 60Hz. They suit new construction and larger shades, and they plug into a fast connector cable or hardwire to a junction box.
Low voltage DC. A DC tubular motor such as the Sonesse 30 RTS runs on 24V DC from a regulated power supply, which Somfy's databook lists as a requirement. Low voltage wiring suits banks of shades fed from one central supply and pockets too tight for a 120V motor. The 24V DC model comparison covers the full low voltage lineup.
WireFree battery. WireFree motors carry a rechargeable Li-ion battery in the tube. No wiring reaches the window, which makes them the retrofit answer for finished rooms. Browse the range in Somfy WireFree and Battery Motors.
Limits, control and the radio inside
Limits tell the motor where to stop at the top and bottom of travel. The Sonesse 30 RTS and Sonesse 40 RTS use electronic limits, which the installer sets with an RTS remote during programming. Somfy's Altus RTS motors take their limits from a handheld RTS remote as well.
The control protocol comes built into the motor at the factory. Somfy offers RTS radio at 433.42 MHz, two-way Zigbee for TaHoma, RS485 SDN for commercial networks and plain wired versions for switch or relay control. Choose the protocol that matches the controls already on site. A house full of DecoFlex and Situo RTS controls wants an RTS motor.
Picking the right Somfy tubular motor
Work through four questions in order, and the family picks itself.
- Measure the tube's inside diameter. This sets the smallest class that will fit. A 47 mm bore rules out the 60 mm class and opens the 50 mm range.
- Size the torque. Fabric weight, shade width, drop and bottom bar all add load. Our guide to sizing a Somfy shade motor works through the math. On a boundary, step up.
- Pick the power path. 120V AC for wired rooms, 24V DC for central low voltage systems, WireFree for retrofits with no power at the window.
- Match the control. RTS, Zigbee, SDN or wired, decided by what the property already runs.
A typical interior roller shade on 2 in or 2.5 in tube lands on the Sonesse 50 class. The Sonesse 506S2 RTS takes the LT50 2" hard clip drive on 2 in tube. On 2.5 in tube it takes the Somfy LT50 2.5" Crown (9707026) with its matching 2.5 in drive. Its star head clips into the Somfy LT50 Star Head Motor Bracket (9410651). A 40 mm tube points to the Sonesse 40 and parts such as the Somfy LS40 2" Crown and Drive Set (9016352). Somfy backs each tubular motor we sell with its 5-year warranty.
Common questions
Is a tubular motor the same thing as a roller shade motor?
For roller shades, yes. A roller blind tubular motor sits inside the roller tube and turns it from within. Somfy uses the same tubular layout on awnings, zip screens and rolling shutters, with larger diameter classes and higher torque for those exterior loads. The Sonesse family covers interior shades, and the LT50 and LT60 platforms cover exterior work.
Can a DC tubular motor plug into a wall outlet?
A 24V DC motor such as the Sonesse 30 RTS needs a regulated 24V DC power supply between it and the outlet. Somfy lists the regulated supply as a requirement. Low voltage systems often feed several shades from one central supply. For a plug-in 120V install, choose a Sonesse 40 or Sonesse 50 AC motor instead.
Do I need a new crown and drive when I replace a motor?
Only if the new motor belongs to a different platform. Crowns and drives fit one motor platform and one tube. A replacement Sonesse 50 motor in the same 2 in tube can reuse LT50 parts in good condition. Moving from a 40 mm motor to a 50 mm motor means a new crown, drive and bracket.
Does the motor diameter limit its torque?
Yes. Each diameter class covers its own torque band. Somfy's 28 mm WireFree motor delivers 1.1 Nm, the 40 mm Sonesse 404S2 delivers 4 Nm, and the 60 mm LT60 680R2 reaches 80 Nm. A heavy shade on a small tube may need a larger tube to reach the torque it requires.
Shade Motors Direct is an authorized source for genuine Somfy motorized window shade, blind, and drapery parts.
