Real-time And Historical Data and Trade Service: Interactive Brokers
WinTrend works with the Interactive Brokers (IB) trading service.
This service provides the WinTrend software with data for historical and intraday charts, continuously updating real-time quotes, and trading capability for all types of markets around the world.
A trading account is required with IB to access their data.
However, their data is FREE and real-time.
They provide data from all types of markets from around the world.
To use IB with WinTrend follow the Setup Instructions below.
Notice: Interactive Brokers is very popular.
However, their historical data platform is not the most solid.
Historical data access can be problematic at times.
We just ask that you do not judge WinTrend based upon this data feed if you are a new user of WinTrend.
When evaluating the charting performance of WinTrend both historically and in real-time you may want to use the WinTrend Real Time Forex Data Feed.
Newer versions of WinTrend use a user adjustable delay between historical data requests to minimize what is known as a "pacing violation" from IB.
It is important to understand this and take advantage of this to avoid missing historical data.
You also need to be aware that this slows the speed at which historical data can be downloaded.
Setup Instructions
Important! If you are having a problem connecting to the IB data feed, then be sure to follow step number 3 below.
1. To use the IB trading service, you need an account with them. Go to the Interactive Brokers website and open an account with them if you do not already have one.
2. Run the IB Trader Workstation (TWS) software. It is highly recommended that you use the stand alone TWS software. Not the browser based TWS.
3. Select Configure >> Global Configuration on the IB TWS software menu.
Go to API and make sure Enable ActiveX and Socket Clients is checked.
Also make sure the port is 7496 and that a Trusted IP Address is set to 127.0.0.1.
If it is not, then press the Create button and enter 127.0.0.1.
4. Go to WinTrend, select Ticker and specify IB Symbol. (Click here to learn how to configure Ticker)
Note. You should be subscribed for IB Services to get data from TWS IB Feeder.
5. Trades are time stamped using your computers clock. WinTrend calculates time difference between TWS IB client and your computers clock on StartUp.
Please, make sure that clock settings will not be changed while running WinTrend.
6. Please read the IB Symbol Formats and Common Symbols page for instructions to properly enter symbols for IB.
7. Note: IB may limit the number of symbols you can receive data on at the same time.
This limit may be increased based on your trading volume. If you try to get charts for more than the allowed symbols,
then those charts will not update. Once you exceed the limit you need to reduce the number of charts you have open to the allowed number of symbols.
There are two ways you can do it: you can switch off IB Feeder for selected ticker or close chart wich is using IB Feeder.
8. Continue with step number 2 on the Getting Started documentation page.
Logging Into TWS
WinTrend software will automatically connect to TWS client in the following scenarious:
a) You can start TWS first, and then logon to the WinTrend account. If WinTrend has any opened charts with IB Feeder as data feed (history or real-time), it will log you into TWS automatically.
b) You should have TWS and WinTrend (logged in) software started. WinTrend will connect to TWS automatically once the user will open chart with IB Feeder as data feed (historical or real-time data) or will change data feeder of the chart to IB Feeder.
Note. User should be subscribed to IB Feeder package to use TWS IB as a data feeder.
This feature simplifies the process of logging into TWS and/or allows you to continuously store data from IB and have no gaps in your charts if you automatically start TWS (explained below).
To automatically start the TWS software, add a Task to the Windows operating system Scheduled Tasks program to automatically start the stand-alone TWS software early in the morning.
Additionally, you can connect to TWS manually by using Feeders Connection State dialog.
Running Multiple TWS Instances
When running multiple TWS instances you should note that WinTrend will be conntected to the instance that is listening on the port setup in steps numbers 3 and 4 above
About IB
Interactive Brokers, a global electronic brokerage firm, provides professional traders, financial advisors, brokers and institutions low cost execution and clearing services for stocks, options, futures, forex, and bonds.
Commissions are as follows: Equities: starting at $1.00 per 100 US shares. As low as $0.50 per 100 US shares (all-in).
Options: $1.00 per US smart contract (all-in). Futures: From $0.55 to $1.40 per contract (plus exchange, regulatory, and carrying fees).
The IB Universal Account allows customers to trade stocks, options, futures, forex, and bonds on over 50 market centers in 14 countries from a single account.