Cadence Design Systems
Cadence Design Systems makes electronic design automation, PCB design and system analysis software, including the OrCAD X and Allegro X platforms. OrCAD X is sold in Standard, Professional and Professional Plus tiers on single-user licences, and Cadence software is licensed rather than sold under its licence agreements.
Licensing at a Glance
- Subscription
- Named user
OrCAD X is offered in Standard, Professional and Professional Plus licence tiers, with a free trial and a free academic licence.[1]
OrCAD X supports single-user cloud licensing: a single-user license (SUL) can be installed on up to five computers with only one device active at a time, and cloud floating licences and licence borrowing are not yet supported.[2]
Cadence's click-through Software License Agreement for design materials on its cloud platform grants a temporary, personal, non-transferable, non-exclusive right of use for evaluation and demonstration, states the materials are licensed, not sold, and limits use to a single user at a time unless agreed otherwise in writing.[3]
Products
- OrCAD XCAD Software
- Allegro X Design PlatformCAD Software
- Sigrity X PlatformSimulation & CAE Software
References
- PCB Design Software | OrCAD X | Cadence · cadence.com · retrieved 2026-10-01
- OrCAD X and PSpice FAQ | Cadence · cadence.com · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Cadence Design Systems, Inc. Software License Agreement (Design Materials & Cloud Platform) · www5.cadence.com · retrieved 2026-10-01
Product History
All acquisitions- Cadence Design Systems acquired Hexagon Design & Engineering (formerly MSC Software)
Cadence Design Systems acquired the Design & Engineering business of Hexagon, which includes the simulation software business formerly known as MSC Software, to expand its System Design and Analysis portfolio.
Legacy product Became Hexagon Design & Engineering (formerly MSC Software) simulation software Kept Cadence System Design and Analysis portfolio Licensing impactSources and full product history- Hexagon stated that the D&E business contributed about EUR 265 million of revenue in 2024 and had been moved to a subscription model under Hexagon's ownership.[1]
- Cadence reported that it acquired all of the outstanding equity of the D&E business of Hexagon Smart Solutions AB on 2026-02-23, for USD 2.2 billion in cash and 3.2 million Cadence shares, building on its 2024 acquisition of BETA CAE.[2]