I received an email from from Mentor Graphics indicating that the OrCAD software that AMSAT has licensed is being disontinued:   »   Cadence is discontinuing OrCAD Layout Long anticipated, Cadence has finally begun the end-of-life (EOL) process for OrCAD Layout. Cadence distributors emailed their customers in late June that: 'Effective July 31, 2007, Cadence will no longer sell ... OrCAD Layout based technology products¿ We acknowledge that transitioning software systems is never easy and is often a juggling act between investing in learning new technologies and meeting current business priorities.' Their only recommended transition path is a move to Allegro technology - infamous for its hard-to-learn, expensive, high-speed upgrades.   This would leave PADS as the only viable layout software. Has anyone heard from Cadence directly?   73,   John KD6OZH