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Mate Programming Scenarios

This guide covers various scenarios for programming and using the Mate remote control. Much of what is described here also applies to Sidekick.

Mate is first and foremost a remote control for motorized screens and louvers. These are often powered by tubular motors located in a cassette above the screen, integrated into a pergola structure. These tubular motors are made by a number of manufacturers, each typically having its own radio control protocol.

Mate's most basic function is to act as a universal remote control for these screen motors. For a complete list of supported technologies and their capabilities, see the Mate & Sidekick Technology Reference.

Scenario 1: Mate Pairing with a Motor

Basic pairing: Mate sends address to motor's pairing table

To control a Somfy RTS motor, the Mate channel you want to use needs to be configured for RTS technology. At the time of writing, Mate ships with all 15 channels defaulting to Somfy RTS technology, as this is the most popular technology in the industry.

When you press the Up, Down, Stop, or Pair buttons on Mate while on a channel, Mate simulates a Somfy remote control and transmits RTS signals.

Pairing Process

To get a motor to respond to these signals, the motor needs to be programmed to accept commands from this remote control:

  1. Open a pairing window on the motor (typically by holding a button on the motor—this varies between manufacturers and models)
  2. The motor will jog to indicate it's ready
  3. Tap the Pair button on Mate
  4. The motor typically jogs again to confirm pairing

What's happening: The radio signal from Mate contains an address (a 16 to 32-bit number that uniquely identifies this channel of this remote) and a list of buttons being pressed. When you program a motor this way, it learns that remote control channel's address, and future commands from the remote will be honored. We refer to this information stored in the motor as the pairing table.

Pairing Table Limits

Motors have a limited number of channels that can be paired to them (maximum pairing table size). For many Somfy RTS motors, this limit is 12. Be careful when pairing many channels and bridges to motors—eventually they will stop accepting new addresses and you'll need to reset them or unpair some channels.

Rolling Codes

For Somfy, NICE, and some other technologies, a counter value is included in each transmission, incremented with every command. Receivers in the motors reject commands if this counter is not slightly larger than previous accepted commands. This security scheme, often called a rolling code, provides additional security but creates challenges for automation—particularly complicating backup and restore.1

Scenario 2: All Channel (Channel 00)

You can pair each of Mate's 15 independent channels to different motors for totally independent control. But what if you want to control more than one motor at once?

Mate Channel 00 controlling multiple motors

Manual All Channel (Somfy RTS and Similar)

On technologies like Somfy RTS, to achieve control of more than one motor at once, you need to program a single address into all motors you want to control simultaneously. On traditional Somfy remotes, there's a separate channel for this purpose. On Mate, this is Channel 00.

When you go to Channel 00 on Mate (with RTS technology configured), it behaves like another channel. To set up grouped control:

  1. Pair channels 1–15 to individual motors as usual
  2. Go to Channel 00
  3. Pair Channel 00 to each motor you want to control together

Result: The end user has individual motor control on channels 1–15, plus the option to control all motors at once from Channel 00. The motors move simultaneously without a "popcorn effect" because only one signal is sent.

Automatic All Channel (Gaposa, Dooya Bi-Directional)

Some motor technologies like Gaposa and Dooya bi-directional (including Rollease Acmeda) support automatic all-channel functionality. See the Technology Reference for details on which technologies support this feature.

In these technologies, the entire remote control has a single address, and each transmission includes a list of channels being activated. When operating a single channel, only that channel is selected. But you can also command specific channels or all channels on the remote.

Benefit: You only need to program each individual channel once to corresponding motors. Channel 00 works automatically—no need to separately program it to each motor. When you press a button on Channel 00, Mate sends a single signal with the common address and all channels selected. Any motors programmed to any of those channels will move simultaneously.

Scenario 3: Mixed Technologies

It's common, particularly in outdoor installations, to have more than one motor technology in use. For example:

  • A louvered roof using an RTS motor
  • Screen motors on the sides of the pergola powered by Gaposa

Mate supports configuring different channels to different motor technologies for exactly this reason.

Mixed technologies: RTS louvers and Gaposa screens

How Channel 00 Works with Mixed Technologies

Individual control works as expected. When you go to Channel 00, Mate sends two signals:

  1. A Channel 00 address for RTS (which needs to be separately programmed into your louver motor)
  2. A single signal for the Gaposa motors

You will notice a slight time delay between the RTS motor starting to move and the Gaposa motors, as Mate needs to switch technologies and send separate signals.

Scenario 4: Positional Control Using K1, K2, and K3

K1, K2, K3 buttons for preset positions

We heard from customers that smart remote controls often have too many buttons—but at the same time, customers expect more than just Up/Down/Stop. For example, setting favorite positions or multiple presets.

This is what the K1, K2, and K3 buttons on Mate are for.

Technology Support

Positional control depends on the motor technology. Not all technologies support set-position commands. See the Technology Reference for which technologies support preset and set-position features.

Example Configuration

If your motor technology supports set-position commands, you can configure:

  • K1 → Set channels 2, 3, 4 to 25% position
  • K2 → Set channels 2, 3, 4 to 50% position
  • K3 → Set channels 2, 3, 4 to 75% position

This is configured using the Bond Home app over a Bluetooth connection to Mate. You link a tap of each key to actions on channels—essentially creating scenes within the remote control itself.

Per-Channel Positional Control

For more granular control (e.g., setting just the south-facing shade to 50% while keeping north and west shades fully open):

When linking keys in the Bond Home app, select "Currently Selected Channel" instead of specific channels. This extends each channel's control to include three extra position buttons.

Dead Reckoning vs. Native Position

In the Bond Home app with Bond Bridge, some technologies show a slider that requires calibration. This uses a "dead reckoning" technique from the bridge—there's no native set-position command in the protocol. This functionality will not be available through Mate.

Intermission: Introducing Bond Bridge Pro

So far, we've covered using Mate as a standalone remote control with optional advanced programming via the Bond Home app. Now we'll introduce Bond Bridge Pro and see how Mate works even better together with the bridge.

Bond Bridge Pro enables:

  • App-based control of your system
  • Control while away from home
  • Integration with other smart home systems

Scenario 5: Keeping the App in Sync (BondSync)

Consider a scenario with one outdoor screen. Mate controls it directly, and you want app control too. You add a Bond Bridge Pro and pair the bridge to the motor.

The motor's address table now has:

  • The bridge's virtual remote address
  • The Mate remote control channel address

You now have control through the app, which tracks whether the screen is open or closed and displays the device state.

The Problem with Traditional Remotes

When using hubs like Bond Bridge Pro, if a remote control directly moves the motor, the bridge doesn't know about it—this is one-way communication. The bridge can only command the motor, not query its position. Traditionally, using a manufacturer's remote doesn't update the device state in the app.

The Solution: BondSync

Mate solves this with BondSync.

How it works:

  1. Mate sends the command directly to the motor (the bridge could be unplugged and this still works)
  2. Mate then sends a signal to the bridge: "Channel 7 has been raised"
  3. The app updates to show the correct state

BondSync flow: Mate to Screen, Mate to Bridge, Bridge to App

Linking for BondSync

For BondSync to update the device state, the bridge needs to know which device the Mate channel is controlling. Configure this in the app:

  1. Go to the Mate screen
  2. Select the channel
  3. Link the channel to the device

The link should display: "Controls your device directly"—indicating the signal goes from Mate to the motor, then BondSync updates the bridge.

Scenario 6: Range Extension and Relaying

Relaying through bridge for range extension

So far we've discussed Mate directly controlling motors. But there are cases where direct control isn't practical:

  • Motor technologies not yet supported by Mate but supported by Bond Bridge Pro
  • Manually recorded (raw recorded) motors
  • Range limitations when you want to use Mate throughout your property

Setting Up Relay Mode

To relay through the bridge:

  1. Set the Mate channel to AutoLink technology

Naming

This feature may be renamed. Previously called "Relay," candidates include "AutoLink" or "QuickLink."

  1. In the app, link this channel to one or more devices

How Relaying Works

When you press Up/Down/Stop on the remote:

  1. Instead of sending a motor-specific signal, Mate sends information about the key press (like a joystick or input device)
  2. Any Bond Bridge Pros in range receive this
  3. Bridges check if anything is linked to that channel
  4. For linked devices, the bridge translates the button tap into a signal the motor understands and transmits it

The device state remains correct because transmissions happen from the bridges.

When linking a Mate channel to a device in the app, you'll see one of two messages:

  • "Controls your device directly" — The Mate channel's technology matches the device (e.g., both are Somfy RTS). Mate sends commands directly to the motor; the bridge only updates state via BondSync.

  • "Controls the device via the device's bridge" — The technologies don't match (e.g., Mate channel is set to AutoLink, or Mate is configured for RTS but the device is Dooya). The bridge receives button presses from Mate and translates them into commands the motor understands.

Scenario 7: Controlling Multiple Motors from a Single Channel

Single channel controlling multiple technologies via bridge

Beyond Channel 00, you can pair more than one motor to any specific channel. For example, Channel 3 could control all motors on a facade. This is common in indoor installations for whole-room or whole-facade control.

Simply pair that channel to multiple motors.

Advanced: Multiple Technologies on One Channel

Directly controlling multiple motor technologies from a single channel isn't possible with Mate alone—a channel can only be one technology. However, with Bond Bridge Pro, you can achieve this:

Example: Configure Channel 1 for RTS and link it in the app to both an RTS motor and a Dooya motor.

What happens when you press Up:

  1. Mate sends signal directly to the RTS motor
  2. Mate sends BondSync: "I pressed Up on Channel 1"
  3. Bridge checks everything linked to Channel 1
  4. Bridge sees the RTS motor → updates state only (technology matches)
  5. Bridge sees the Dooya motor → technology mismatch → relays the command to the Dooya motor

Scenario 8: Controlling Groups

Mate can link to groups in the app, not just individual devices.

Benefits:

  • Signals are always relayed by the bridge
  • Easy setup—groups are configured in the app
  • Eliminates popcorn effect when the bridge can send a single signal (e.g., Gaposa, Dooya bi-directional)

Multi-Bridge Groups

Multi-bridge setup with Fofoca

For large installations requiring multiple bridges for full coverage:

  1. Add devices and create groups in the app (groups can span multiple bridges)
  2. Set Mate to AutoLink
  3. Link the channel to the group

What Happens When You Tap Up

  1. Mate broadcasts "tap up on channel 1"
  2. Both bridges listen; perhaps only one receives the signal
  3. Bridges share what they heard via Fofoca (Portuguese for "gossip")
  4. Bridges coordinate RF spectrum access via BBCAP (Bond Bridge Collision Avoidance Protocol)
  5. Bridges take turns transmitting to their respective motors

Result: First set of motors moves, then after a short delay, the second set moves. You achieve effectively unlimited range through relaying to large groups.

Network Requirements

For Fofoca to work, all bridges must be on the same broadcast domain:

  • Wi-Fi: Same Wi-Fi network
  • Ethernet: Same subnet

In typical home installations, this isn't a concern. If bridges can't communicate, they won't share signals, limiting Mate's effective range.

Controlling ceiling fans and heaters via AutoLink

Up to now, we've focused on motorized screens and louvers. But Mate can also control other Bond-compatible devices—heaters, ceiling fans, lights, and more—by using AutoLink channels.

Supported Devices

AutoLink channels can control:

  • Smart by Bond devices — Ceiling fans and heaters (such as Infratech) with built-in Bond connectivity
  • Bridge-controlled devices — Any device paired to a Bond Bridge Pro, including RF-controlled ceiling fans, fireplaces, and lighting

Setup

  1. Set a Mate channel to AutoLink technology
  2. In the app, link that channel to the device you want to control

The bridge translates button presses into commands appropriate for that device type, supporting features intuitively:

  • RGB-W light strip: Tap Up to turn on at previous color; tap Stop to cycle colors; hold Up/Down to dim
  • Ceiling fan: Tap Up/Down to increase/decrease speed; tap Stop to toggle light
  • Heater: Tap Up to turn on; tap Down to turn off

Example Use Case

You have a pergola with screens and louvers controlled directly by Mate on channels 1–4. You want to also control:

  • An Infratech heater (Smart by Bond)
  • A ceiling fan (controlled via Bond Bridge Pro)
  • RGB light strips

Reserve channels 5, 6, and 7 for these devices. Set each to AutoLink and link them in the app. Now you have unified control of your entire outdoor space from a single remote.

Scenario 10: Key Linking to Devices (K1, K2, K3)

K3 shutdown scene controlling multiple devices

Earlier, we covered using K1/K2/K3 for positional control on Mate channels directly (Scenario 4). But these keys can also be linked to control devices via the bridge—including creating multi-device scenes.

Linking Keys to Individual Devices

You can link K1, K2, or K3 to toggle or control any device in the Bond app. For example:

  • K1 → Toggle outdoor heater
  • K2 → Toggle ceiling fan
  • K3 → Toggle patio lights

Example: Shutdown Scene

You can link a single key to command multiple devices simultaneously. Configure K3 to shut down your entire pergola system:

  • All screens come down
  • Roof closes
  • Heater turns off
  • Ceiling fan turns off
  • Lights turn off

When K3 is pressed, Mate directly controls any linked channels and sends commands via the bridge for devices linked in the app.

Conclusion

This completes the tour of Mate's linking functions. We hope this is helpful to dealers, developers, and motivated end users.

  1. If backup and restore functionality is added to Mate in the future, rolling codes would present challenges: (1) you can only have one copy of a channel's remote—you can't use two different remotes with the same address with a rolling code motor, and (2) your backup must be recent so the counter isn't too far behind what the motor expects. ↩