Maybe I'm the last one to figure this out but the similarities seem too great to not wonder:

Not the same. Castle's stuff is actually made in Kansas, Hobby Wing is a Chinese company; you can make the leap from there....

Now Orion's ESC's are based on HW hardware but with generally much better software.

So you think it's just a coincidence that the programming user interface is that similar for two different pieces of hardware?

the programming software may be the same, Speedpassion (hobbywing) used it first to my knowlege but it wouldn't supprise me if castle bought the uploading software to use in their ESC's. The acctual programming in the two brands ESC's is different though, you can tell that much when just pulling the throttle and the differences in weak and strong points through the power curves.

Just because two speed controllers look similar doesn't mean their the same though does it? I think of software the same way. Both companys just have a basic no frills program that uses minimum system requirements to update software with. That way a cheap POS computer can run the program. Unlike Tekins programming software where the system Req. are a little steeper because of the nice graphics and interface that they use.

Castle link software was out a couple years before hobbywing even came about. If its the same it's because they might have borrowed a little bit from castle

That GUI C++ software is very generic and easy to copy or create. They could be made from the same template in the learning manual.
The software that matters it what's uploaded to ESC and physical components.

I written enough software to be a bit dubious of the similarity. Give two people locked in two different closets writing software for the same hardware will not likely come up w/ the same UI. Scratch that. Two people writing software sitting next to each other w/ the same spec. will unlikely come up w/ a ui that similar.

Castle is made in china too, were not in Kansas anymore

When did this happen? To my knowledge castle was still assembled in Kansas. I don't think they can put "made in USA" on the box because something to do with all the components not being produced here. As far as I know they are still assembled, designed, and repaired here which is good enough for me.

Hobbywing is reliable, Castle isn't

+1 for hobbywing