Interactive Brokers

Here you can find Interactive Brokers Video Tutorial.

To connect MultiCharts to Interactive Brokers (IB) data feed, it is necessary to have IB software installed and running on the computer.

IB provides two applications that can be used for connection to MultiCharts:

• IB Trader Workstation (requires 1 logout per 24 hours)
• IB Gateway

Though there is a choice between web-based and standalone version, standalone version is recommended for MultiCharts connection.

To download IB Trader Workstation and IB Gateway, follow this link.

Setting up Interactive Brokers Trader Workstation or Gateway

The following configuration is required to establish connection between MultiCharts platform and IB Gateway:

1. Launch your IB software (Trader Workstation or Gateway)
   IB API option should be selected when logging into IB Gateway.
2. Click on Configure (gear icon) → API section → select Settings.
3. Check Enable Active X and Socket Clients box (for TWS).
4. Uncheck Read-Only API box.
5. Set the Port (Socket port) number to the same value both in IB software and IB data feed settings in QuoteManager.
   By default in IB Gateway Socket port number is 4001.
   In IB data feed settings in QuoteManager default Port (Socket port) number is 7497 or 7496.
6. Add 127.0.0.1 to Trusted IP Addresses or check the "Allow connections from localhost only" box (only if software is running on the same PC). If the software is running on a remote PC - you should specify its IP address.

If TWS/Gateway current language is set to any language except English, it is required to enable the option that means “Send API messages in English” in API settings.

Setting up Interactive Brokers Data Feed Connection in MultiСharts

1. In the QuoteManager main menu select Tools, then click Data Sources and click on Interactive Brokers.
2. In the popped up window choose whether you have a standalone version installed on your PC version of IB TWS/Gateway or a web-based one.
   Standalone version is recommended.
3. Click Ok. Once you clicked OK, the Interactive Brokers Data Feed Configuration window is opened. It is recommended to use default settings.

Connectivity

In the Connectivity section make sure the Server IP Address and Port numbers are correct.
IB TWS can be launched automatically by MultiCharts on attempt to add a symbol from IB data source; once a chart, DOM, Market Scanner window with IB instrument is open. To enable this option check Launch Trader Workstation at start box.

Notifications

• Check Show Error pop-up Alert to display error pop-up messages related to the data feed connection.
• Check Show Pacing Violation pop-up Alert to receive notifications about hitting Pacing violation (see Interactive Brokers Pacing Violation).
• Check Show Delayed Data Alert to receive pop-up messages about delayed data on the chart.

Historical Data

There is no need to reconfigure settings. It is set up by default. Advanced users can check/uncheck the following options:

• Download historical data.
• Regular Trading Hours. Check the box to have standard trading session for daily-based charts.
• Don’t request Tick data for the intervals with no Minute data.
  If the box is checked, MultiCharts assumes that the interval that has no minute data from server also doesn’t have tick data.
• Filter bars with zero volume box.
• Filter bars with zero price box .
• TWS bar timestamp.
  It is not recommended to check this function to avoid possible problems with mixing session settings and missing bars on chart.
• Simultaneous loading of Historical Data across all symbols/charts.
  If the box is checked the data is requested for all symbols simultaneously, not in a particular order.
• Utilization of cache for real-time price data.
  Historical minutes are requested as minutes from server up to the latest one. The latest historical minute is plotted from ticks up to the present moment. All the data that is collected in real-time (ticks) is used to build minutes.
  Due to IB Pacing Violation limitation MultiCharts stores realtime IB quotes in a cache until the restart of the platform. When you reload a chart in order to avoid pacing violation the data is taken from this cache. If you want the data to be directly loaded from IB servers, please disable this option. To make this setting come into effect you need to restart MultiCharts and all of its applications.
• Build Tick-based Bars Using: either 1 Tick or 1 Second or 5 Seconds data from IB servers.
• Build Minute-based Bars Using: either 1 Minute or 15 Minutes data from IB servers.

Real-Time Data

There is no need to reconfigure the settings. It is set up by default.

• Include "Unreportable Last" Trades.
  Check this option for the small size transactions (less than 1 lot) to be included.
• Generate a new Tick with Zero Volume upon DailyHigh (DailyLow) update.
  This option is enabled by default. If the discrepancy between DailyHigh (DailyLow) and IB real time data is detected, this option allows for the generation of a new tick with the required price and zero volume to eliminate the discrepancy. When this option is disabled, the discrepancy between DailyHigh (DailyLow) and IB real time data is possible.
• Click the Reset button to restore default settings.

To add an instrument manually or from data source, see Adding Symbols to Symbol List.

Symbol Combinations

It is possible to receive data for symbol combinations (composites) from Interactive Brokers. Adding combo symbols is performed as follows:

1. Open QuoteManager window
   • see how
2. On the Instrument menu, select Add Symbol.
3. Select From Data Source.
4. Choose Interactive Brokers from the Data Source list; the Insert Symbols into Portfolio window will open.
5. Select the Combinations tab.
6. Click on the Leg-by-leg Lookup button; the Combo Selection window will be opened.
7. Choose one of the available symbol tabs and perform the search for the symbol by using Lookup. It is possible to select only 2 symbols for a combination.
8. Once the symbols are selected click Add and close the Combo Selection window.
9. The selected symbols will be displayed in the Insert Symbols Into Portfolio window and it will be possible to specify the action (Buy/Sell) and the quantity for each symbol.

For combinations, only charting is available. Trading such symbols is currently not supported.

Also, make sure that you set up Interactive Brokers broker profile for trading and Interactive Brokers broker plug-in for auto-trading.