CASE STUDY
A system built to last a decade, not a fiscal quarter.
WHERE IT BEGAN
A local transit company approached us with a problem that every commuter has experienced — turnstiles that break faster than they're replaced.
Their control units were overheating, failing under voltage spikes, and couldn't adapt to new payment methods.
We were tasked with building a new Electronic Control Unit (ECU) that could survive 24/7 use, multi-payment input, and human impatience — all in one rugged, updatable system.
"Make it last longer than the metal it's bolted to."
THE CHALLENGE
Turnstiles are deceptively complex. They handle constant torque loads, electrical surges, and timing precision that has to sync with external systems — card readers, gates, and foot traffic sensors.
Most ECUs fail because they're designed like consumer electronics, not industrial devices.
We needed something field-serviceable, modular, and future-proof.
If a board failed, maintenance should take minutes — not shutdowns.
ENGINEERING THE HEARTBEAT
We built the system around a dual-core MCU architecture, splitting the workload:
That division gave redundancy — if one side went down, the other could safely cycle power or close the gate.
The board featured:
Every decision aimed at a single goal: zero downtime in public environments.
DESIGNING FOR THE REAL WORLD
Inside the cabinet, the ECU had to be serviceable blindfolded.
We mapped every connector by tactile position, so a technician could replace modules without tools or visibility.
Even the diagnostic LEDs were color-coded by error category — red for electrical, blue for network, amber for mechanical.
"Industrial design meets human factors engineering."
TESTING THE TORTURE
We didn't simulate stress — we inflicted it.
Voltage spikes, temperature cycling, and continuous rotation testing for 45 days straight.
The result: a board that ran 1.2 million gate cycles without failure.
When the test rig finally jammed, it wasn't the ECU — it was the bearing.
INTEGRATION AND DEPLOYMENT
Once certified, the ECUs were integrated into legacy turnstiles without requiring redesign — backwards-compatible firmware, modern hardware.
Within a month, the first units went live in a New Jersey transit hub, clocking thousands of entries per day without error.
OUTCOME
The Turnstile ECU reduced maintenance downtime by 68% and extended service life by over 5 years compared to the previous generation.
The client recouped the redesign cost in under a year.
But more than numbers, it proved something we believe deeply at Twin Designs:
Longevity is design.
When you build something to last, everything else becomes simpler.
REFLECTION
This project redefined what we mean by product design.
Not everything needs a beautiful surface — some products earn beauty through precision, resilience, and trust.
We still think of this board as one of our most honest designs.