Installations
Get an awning, shutter or blind onto real position tracking, and calibration to pass.
Updated August 2026
In Shelly’s vocabulary a cover is any two-way motor that opens and closes a physical barrier — awnings, roller shutters, exterior shutters, venetian blinds and curtain motors.
The cover profile gives you position tracking from 0 to 100 %, calibrated travel times, and firmware-enforced protection against driving both directions at once.
That last point is why the profile matters. Wiring two independent switches gives you the same two outputs and none of the safety: the cover profile enforces the interlock, exposes a position slider in the app, and stops when the motor reaches its end stops.
| Installation | Device | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Single cover, behind the switch | Shelly 2PM Gen4 | In-wall, power metering on both channels |
| Single cover, distribution board | Shelly Pro 2PM | 2-module DIN rail, power metering |
| Two covers, one device | Shelly Pro Dual Cover/Shutter PM | Two independent covers from one DIN device |
All three run 110–240 V AC. Optional additions: a Powered By Shelly Ecowitt WS90 weather station for local wind and rain measurement, and a Bluetooth remote — see below.
The steps use the 2PM Gen4 as the example. The principle is identical for the Pro 2PM and the Pro Dual Cover — only the form factor changes.
The motor’s two control wires — one per direction — connect to the relay’s two output channels. Supply connects to L and N as usual.
Verify the motor is 230 V AC before you start. The nameplate is the only reliable source; a DC motor on a cover device will not work and cannot be made to.
Bring the device onto the network as described in add a device, then update the firmware before configuring anything else.
Calibration relies on current motor behaviour profiles, and cover features are added regularly. See update device firmware.
A two-output device ships configured as two switches. Change it:
Device settings → Device profile → cover → Save
The device reboots with the cover-specific settings available. Until you do this, none of the calibration or position settings exist.
Calibration teaches the device how long a full travel takes and how much power the motor draws while running. Without it there is no position tracking at all.
Clear the cover’s path, then Device settings → Calibration → Start calibration. The cover runs a full open–close–open cycle by itself.
Tap Open — the cover should extend fully. Tap Close — it should retract fully. Then use the slider to send it to 50 % and confirm it stops where it should.
If Open closes the cover and Close opens it, enable Reverse directions in device settings rather than rewiring.
Two settings account for almost every failure, and they fail in ways that look like a broken motor.
The maximum the motor may run in one direction. Exceed it and the device stops the motor — and calibration fails.
The default is 60 seconds. A large awning may need 120–180. Set While opening and While closing higher than the motor actually needs for a full travel.
The power below which the motor counts as stopped. If the motor has a small standby draw, the device thinks it is still running — and calibration fails.
Read the actual standby draw in the device’s web interface with the motor stopped, then set the threshold 0.2–0.4 W above it. A motor drawing 1.2 W stopped wants a threshold of 1.4–1.6 W.
Input type if a physical wall switch is wired to the SW inputs, and control button mode, which decides whether the buttons behave as momentary or toggle depending on the switch fitted.
An awning left out in wind is the most expensive failure in this guide, and it is entirely preventable.
An Ecowitt WS90 measures wind and rain at the building itself. Build an automation that retracts the awning when conditions pass the motor manufacturer’s limits.
Most awning motors handle 20–30 km/h. Check the motor’s spec sheet for the exact figure, and set the threshold 5–10 km/h below it, so the awning is already retracting when the gust arrives.
Local measurement matters here. A forecast describes the region; the gust that damages an awning happens at the building, and by the time a forecast reflects it the awning is already out.
A Bluetooth battery remote pairs directly with the cover device. No Wi-Fi, no app and no cloud for everyday use — which also means it keeps working when the network does not.
Shelly BLU RC Button 4 ZB is a compact four-button remote with a magnetic backplate. Mount it by the terrace door, or take it with you.
Shelly BLU Remote Control ZB is the traditional shape: larger buttons, longer battery life, and it feels like a TV remote. The better choice for a living room, and for customers who dislike small controls.
Pairing follows the same Bluetooth procedure as the BLU Wall Switch.
The full installation, from wiring to calibration.
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By ShellyGuide on YouTube
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