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charlotte nc
Experience: Advanced
Platform: My Own System
Broker: Optimus
Trading: Emini (ES, YM, NQ, ect.)
Posts: 408 since Jan 2015
Thanks Given: 90
Thanks Received: 1,148
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The documentation on their API is fair but you will still need to hack around a bunch in order to understand how their various data feeds work. Although they have some documentation, it is often times quite shallow in places where you need more depth. The sequencing of their data feeds is a bit tricky as well. To moving from OnBarUpdate, to OnMarketData to OnMarketDepth you can see some weird stuff.
I wish I had fully understood the mechanics of their SIM engine early on. There are lots of things you will need to be aware of in order to properly compare this with live trading. For example their market replay tool as well of all their back-testing tools assume 0 latency in execution speeds. So you move from: Initialized > Submitted > Accepted > Working in 0 MS every time for every order no matter what. In the real work at a retail level, you will typically be 200 to 500 MS. And in this 200 to 500 MS the market can clear 5 to 10 price levels. So anyone trying to scalp, or run strategies that heavily rely on limit orders will have zero chance of achieving the level of precision you will see in Market Replay with 0 latency. There are other mechanics about there SIM engine I could get into. It's a fair tool overall, but knowing the assumptions will help you understand if the results are realistic to your particular trading strategy / scenario. Look at their APQ code for example, and this will help you understand how they mark your position in the queue and fill your limit orders. Is this realistic or not? I will let you be the judge on this and not share too much of my own perspective here... But the code is there is you want to take a peak.
You should pay attention to which event handlers are lagging and which are leading with your live data feed. I had a real fun thread with those guys recently over this. https://forum.ninjatrader.com/showthread.php?p=541346
I really wish they would fix this or make a stripped down version of their platform that optimizes for latency.
The SIM engine running with a live data feed in real time uses around a 100 to 150 MS latency for executions. Is this realistic for your trading scenario with your proximity hosting (or lack thereof) who's to say... But knowing what settings are in play can make all the difference in understanding if any of your testing results will compare to live trading or not.
Beyond just the platform it'self.... It's important to understand the mechanics of the market, and see how the raw data structure works. This will help you understand how your latency, queue position, or lack thereof can impact your success.
I could write a small book about this kind of stuff..... But I'll stop my rant here. I'd still say it's as good as any retail platform out there. But they all have their points of frustration.
Best of luck!
Ian
| In the analytical world there is no such thing as art, there is only the science you know and the science you don't know. Characterizing the science you don't know as "art" is a fools game. |
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