Choose execution, live data and historical connections
Connect the right account and assign each market-data role without losing contract identity.
Reviewed 2026-10-24 · Windows & macOS
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Understand the three roles#
An AMM trading setup can use three separate connections. Execution sends orders and owns the broker account. Live data supplies the observations used by charts and algorithms. History supplies warmup and stored research data. Choosing a data feed does not authorize it to trade, and a matching instrument name does not establish identical prices, quantities or contracts.
Open Data › Brokers & feeds from the navigation rail or command palette. The connection list shows the current state; the overview shows connection health and routing defaults. Open a connection to inspect its account, environment, credentials and supported roles. The event log helps identify a recent connection or settings change. If the API is unavailable, server-backed entries show Unknown and their last-known time; stale health is not a successful connection test.
Available connections#
| Connection | Practical use | Important boundary |
|---|---|---|
| cTrader | Broker execution and account-specific FX/CFD data, including broker-offered indices, metals and other OTC markets | Available instruments and specifications belong to the exact broker account |
| Interactive Brokers | Client Portal execution/data for supported contracts | AMM rejects futures and options execution pending exact multiplier support; a broad broker marketing list is not AMM support |
| Interactive Brokers Crypto | Separate spot-crypto route using the same gateway account | USD pairs, cash holdings, long-only |
| Alpaca | US-equity execution, live data and historical acquisition | Paper/live credentials and market-data entitlements are distinct |
| Alpaca Crypto | Spot-crypto route sharing Alpaca credentials | Live execution currently supports USD pairs |
| Binance Spot | Public spot data plus authenticated spot execution | Global, US and Testnet are separate profiles; no margin, shorts or futures |
| Massive | US-equity market data, formerly Polygon | Data only; cannot execute orders |
| Rithmic | CME Group futures execution and data | Requires the correct system login and exchange permissions |
| CQG | Futures through CQG-enabled brokers | Requires CQG WebAPI credentials and appropriate application access |
| Simulation | Synthetic prices or stored-file replay with simulated execution | Results do not reproduce a real venue's costs or matching engine |
| cTrader Replica | Local testing through the cTrader protocol | Reuses local cTrader archives; does not connect to a real broker |
Some server installations disable Rithmic or CQG. Their onboarding cards explain the missing setup. An unavailable route does not become available by selecting it elsewhere in the application.
Connect and verify#
- Open the provider drawer and select the intended Demo/Paper or LIVE environment before entering credentials.
- Save the required connection fields. Alpaca and Binance secrets are write-only; an empty saved draft can preserve a configured secret. Use explicit removal to remove it.
- Use the provider's connection or credential test. For IB, finish the gateway browser login and capture the session. For cTrader, inspect the exact account ID and Demo/Live label.
- Confirm the account, currency, account model and instrument availability. A connection being authenticated does not prove permission for every symbol or depth stream.
- Open one chart and inspect its provider/account and a current quote. Download a bounded historical sample separately if history will be needed.
Selecting a LIVE cTrader default account changes the default immediately and shows a warning with Undo. Starting live trading still has its own preflight and confirmation. Check the environment on every launch form; selecting a default account is not a simulated trade.
Set routing defaults#
Use the Routing view to set Execution, Live data and History for each asset class. Only eligible connections are offered for each role; Massive is not an execution route. A user-set row pre-fills new charts and strategy launch forms where safe. A choice made in a particular chart or session overrides that default. Existing sessions retain their own configuration until explicitly changed or restarted.
For example, a US-stock research workflow might use Massive history, Alpaca live quotes and Alpaca Paper execution. A futures workflow might use Rithmic for all roles. These are architecture examples: verify available contracts, data timing and permissions on your installation. Delayed Massive data is blocked for real broker execution; use Simulation or a properly entitled real-time source.
Match contracts deliberately#
Keep the strategy's stable symbol separate from the broker, live-feed and historical symbol aliases. Missing aliases fall back independently to the stable symbol. Changing an execution alias does not change the live or history connection. Use Check route where available, then inspect each role's provider, account, symbol, asset class, quote currency, tick and quantity rules.
A resolved route does not prove universal underlying equivalence or permission to trade. AMM does not infer FX conversion, price scaling or equivalent contracts from similar names. NAS100_SB, a cash index, a futures contract and a stock ETF require separate review. See Instruments and groups.
Recover from connection problems#
Start with the connection's event log and exact error. Login required needs authentication; Permission denied needs entitlement; Unknown usually requires restoring API connectivity. Forced logout on futures should be investigated before reconnecting. Do not repeatedly open new logins against a provider's session limit. If an instrument disappears, clear stale broker filters in the shared instrument picker, then inspect the correct provider's security master. Use the provider guides below for its specific restrictions.