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Zen 2: Motor Programming Guide

Dan Rosen
Updated

This guide covers common setup and programming issues with Somfy AC RTS motors used in KAOS Shades. 

  • These motors have no onboard programming buttons, so all programming is completed using the remote. 
  • All Zen 2 shades ship with a commissioning remote for setup.
  • Out of the box, the motor is not paired to any remote and has no limits set.

Table of Contents:

Terminology

Before you start Checklist

Identify the motors current mode

Initial Set up & Limit Setting

Troubleshooting Limit Setting

Adjusting the Limits

Setting the "MY/Favorite" Position

Troubleshooting Motor Rotation

Obstacle Detection

Troubleshooting Obstacle Detection

Factory Reset & Setup

Existing Install Common Symptoms

Technical Data

Terminology Explained

  • Jog: A quick, small movement indicating the motor acknowledged a command
  • User Mode: Normal mode; shade runs to its set limits
  • Programming Mode: Shade moves in tiny steps; used for limit setting/adjusting
  • Setting Limits: First-time creation of motor stop points
  • Adjusting Limits: Changing limits that already exist
  • Obstacle Detection: Motor stops and reverses if it senses resistance

Before You Start – Checklist

Before programming or troubleshooting:

  1. Perform pairing with only one motor powered to avoid accidental multi-motor pairing
    • If this occurs, all but one motor will require a factory reset
  2. Confirm the shade is installed properly in the tracks
  3. Verify the motor has power (breaker on, junction secure)
  4. Determine whether this is:
    • A new installation (no limits yet), or
    • An existing installation that has stopped working correctly

Identifying the Motor Mode (User Mode vs Programming Mode)

User Mode

  • Tapping UP or DOWN makes the shade move directly to stored limits.

Programming Mode (or No Limits)

  • Tapping UP or DOWN moves the shade in small increments.
✅ Important: Knowing the mode is the first step of any troubleshooting scenario.

 

Initial Setup and Limit Setting

⚠️ Warning: Remotes are not paired to the motors, and UPPER and LOWER limits need to be set.
💡 Tip: It is best practice to only have 1 shade powered on during setup to avoid pairing to multiple shades.

 

 

  1. Apply power to the shade.
  2. Press and hold the UP and DOWN buttons simultaneously until the shade jogs once to pair the remote to the motor.
  3. Check that the motor direction is correct (UP moves the shade up and DOWN moves it down). If incorrect, reverse the motor direction by pressing and holding MY/STOP until the shade jogs once.
  4. Move the shade to the desired upper limit. Press and release the MY/STOP and DOWN buttons until the shade starts to move down.
    • If it does not start moving on button release, redo this step
    • If it moves DOWN in a small increment, both buttons were not pressed simultaneously
    • Try tapping the STOP and DOWN, or holding for 1-2 seconds
    • This may take a few tries
  5. Once the shade starts to travel down by itself, press MY/STOP when it gets close to the desired lower limit.
    • If the shade stops moving on its own, just continue to press DOWN
  6. Move the shade to the desired lower limit and then press and release the MY/STOP and UP buttons until the shade starts to move up.
    • If it does not start moving on button release, redo this step.
    • If it moves UP in a small increment, both buttons were not pressed simultaneously
    • Try tapping the STOP and UP, or holding for 1-2 seconds
    • This may take a few tries
  7. While the Shade is traveling up, press the MY/STOP button to stop the shade anywhere between the newly created Limits.
  8. Press and HOLD the MY/STOP button until the shade jogs once to complete and exit the Motor Programming.
  9. Press and release (not hold) the Programming Button on the back of the remote and the shade will jog one time confirming the Programming completion, this finalizes the programming, commits the Programming to memory and puts the shade into User mode.

Troubleshooting Limit Setting

💡 Tip: New Installations – No Limits Yet: If limits have never been set, complete the limit setting process from start to finish, without interruptions. Until limits are set, the shade will move only in small increments.

 

Common Issues During Limit Setting:

  • Limit setting must be completed start to finish without interruptions
  • Setting the Upper Limit: Use DOWN + STOP
  • Setting the Lower Limit: Use UP + STOP

If the shade only moves in small increments during these steps:

  • Try again
  • Use quick taps
  • Or hold the two buttons for 1–2 seconds
  • It may take several attempts before the motor accepts the command

If shade stops during its automatic movement:

  • Press UP or DOWN (whichever direction it was moving) to continue to the desired limit

Adjusting the Limits

 

Understanding Setting vs Adjusting Limits

Setting Limits: Performed when the motor has no limits.

Adjusting Limits: Used when limits are already set and need modification.

⚠️ Warning: If the limit you are trying to adjust cannot be physically reached, the motor must be factory reset, and the full limit setting process repeated.
⚠️ Warning: Limits can only be adjusted when the shade is at that limit. If the current limit is not reachable, you must factory reset the motor.

 

 

  1. Use the UP or DOWN buttons to move the shade to the current limit you want to change.
  2. Hold the UP and DOWN buttons simultaneously until the shade jogs once (up to 7 seconds).
  3. Use the UP and DOWN buttons to move the shade to the desired new position.
  4. Save the new limit by holding the STOP button until the shade jogs once.

Setting "Favorite/MY" Position (Intermediate Position)

 

  1. Move the shade to the desired position.
  2. Hold the STOP button until the shade jogs once.
  3. The Favorite position is saved.

Modify/Delete Favorite Position:

  • Modify: Move to the new position, then hold the STOP button until the shade jogs once
  • Delete: Move to the favorite position, then hold STOP until the shade jogs once.
⚠️ Warning: Favorite positions cannot be set at or beyond upper/lower limits.

 

Troubleshooting Motor Rotation

 

Motor rotation may appear incorrect if:

  • The motor head is on the left vs. right
  • The shade roll is reversed (KAOS offers standard roll only)
  • The shade was lowered to the tube and continued rolling the wrong way

Fix

  1. Press UP until the shade reaches the tube
  2. Allow it to begin rolling in the correct direction
  3. Re-set limits

Obstacle Detection

This function gives the possibility to deactivate the obstacle detection during the downward movement.

✅ Important: When Programming, all button presses must be completed within 2 seconds of the previous press.

 

To enter the Obstacle Setting Mode:

  1. Move the screen to half-way position.
  2. Press MY/STOP and UP briefly and then HOLD MY/STOP and UP until the screen jogs.
    • If the shade begins to move UP, the buttons were not pressed simultaneously 
    • If the motor goes back into USER MODE (short jog) repeat previous step

To De-activate:

  • Press UP, UP quickly within 2 seconds. The screen will jog slowly (longer delay between up and down movements) and is now deactivated.

Confirm the New Setting and Exit the "Setting" mode:

  • Push and HOLD the MY/STOP until the screen jogs to confirm the new setting.
⚠️ Warning: This can also take a few tries to take, to test if Obstacle Detection was disabled apply pressure to the weight bar as it is moving down, if it stops and goes up, Obstacle Detection was NOT disabled. Repeat the Disabling Obstacle Detection process again.

Troubleshooting Obstacle Detection

✅ Important: Obstacle detection may trigger even if nothing is blocking the shade.

Symptoms

  • Shade travels downward, stops abruptly and moves upward about one foot

Common Causes

  • Tube deflection on long/wide shades
  • Tracks spaced too far apart or too close
  • Light debris or friction in the track
  • Shade not fully seated in tracks

Solutions

  • Disable obstacle detection

Factory Reset & Setup

⚠️ Warning: Factory resets can be difficult and may require many attempts.

 

Before resetting:

  1. Confirm shade is in User Mode, tap the UP or DOWN button, and the shade should move continuously, not in increments
    • If not, press and hold STOP until the shade jogs, if shade does not jog, try tapping the Programming Button
    • Then tap the Programming Button (another jog)

Reset Behavior

  • A successful reset produces a quick jog
  • If the shade moves more than a jog, the reset did not take
  • Try again with different timing

2–10–2 Timing Tips

  • Adjust cadence / speed of the sequence
  • Performing the reset at the breaker (IF POSSIBLE) is often easier than unplugging at the junction inside the shade.

To reset the motor and pair it with your remote control:

  1. Start with having power applied to the motor.
  2. Remove the power for 2 seconds
  3. Re-apply power for 10 seconds.
  4. Remove the power for 2 seconds.
  5. Re-apply power.
    • The shade will begin to move.
  6. When it stops moving, press and hold the programming button on the back of the remote until the shade jogs twice (a single Jog is one (1) Up and one (1) Down movement.
⚠️ Warning:  Do not release the button until the shade jogs twice or you will have to restart the power-cut process.

Pair the remote to the motor:

  1. Press and HOLD the UP and DOWN buttons simultaneously until the shade jogs once.

To set the limits of the motor and put it into User mode:

  1. Press and hold the UP and DOWN buttons simultaneously until the shade jogs once to pair the remote to the motor.
  2. Check that the motor direction is correct (UP moves the shade up and DOWN moves it down). If incorrect, reverse the motor direction by pressing and holding MY/STOP until the shade jogs once.
  3. Move the shade to the desired upper limit. Press and release the MY/STOP and DOWN buttons until the shade starts to move down.
    • If it does not start moving on button release, redo this step
    • If it moves DOWN in a small increment, both buttons were not pressed simultaneously
    • Try tapping the STOP and DOWN, or holding for 1-2 seconds
    • This may take a few tries
  4. Once the shade starts to travel down continuously by itself, press MY/STOP when it gets close to the desired lower limit.
    • If the shade stops moving on its own, just continue to press DOWN
  5. Move the shade to the desired lower limit and then press and release the MY/STOP and UP buttons until the shade starts to move up continuously by itself.
    • If it does not start moving on button release, redo this step.
    • If it moves UP in a small increment, both buttons were not pressed simultaneously
    • Try tapping the STOP and UP, or holding for 1-2 seconds
    • This may take a few tries
  6. While the Shade is traveling up, press the MY/STOP button to stop the shade anywhere between the newly created Limits.
  7. Press and HOLD the MY/STOP button until the shade jogs once to complete and exit the Motor Programming.
  8. Press and release (not hold) the Programming Button on the back of the remote and the shade will jog one time confirming the Programming completion, this finalizes the programming, commits the Programming to memory and puts the shade into User mode.

Existing Installation – Common Symptoms and Causes

 

If the shade was working previously but now only moves in small increments:

Possible Causes

  1. Accidentally entered limit-adjust mode
    • Happens if UP + DOWN were held until the shade jogged while sitting at a limit
  2. The motor was factory reset unintentionally
  3. Programming button was held too long, disabling normal operation

Programming Button Behavior (Important)

  • Holding the programming button in User Mode temporarily disables all motor control
  • If nothing responds:
    • Tap the Programming Button once
    • The shade should jog and return to User Mode
    • If not, wait ~2 minutes for automatic recovery
⚠️ Warning: A factory reset cannot succeed unless the motor is already in User Mode.

 

Technical Data

  • Radio Frequency: 433.42 MHz
  • Power Supply: 120v ~ 60 Hz Max 2.6A
  • Operating Temperature: -4°F to 158°F
  • Protection Rating: IP 44
  • Max RTS Control Points: 12
  • Max RTS Sensors: 3
  • Safety Level: Category 1

Click Here for the Somfy 50 Series Motor Data Sheets

If You Need Support, Please Provide:

  • Order number or installation reference
  • Description of shade behavior
  • Remote model used
  • Whether limits were ever set successfully
  • Whether rotation appears correct
  • Whether other motors are powered nearby
  • Whether a factory reset has been attempted

For issues, contact Screen Innovations:
Phone: 512.832.6939 Option 3
Website: www.screeninnovations.com

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