Setup: Connection Interactive Brokers

Ensign Windows is listed by Interactive Brokers (IB) as a 3rd party Commercial Tool for Charting and Analysis.  As a service to their customers, IB provides real-time streaming data for FREE or at the price charged by an exchange.  This data can be used in Ensign Windows.  For example, a non-professional subscription to US Stock & Commodities Exchanges can be received FREE (or a $20 monthly fee if monthly commissions are less than $30 USD).  Using Ensign Windows with IB is a great way to trade, analyze the markets, and save money on data charges.  

Before using Interactive Brokers (IB) you must open a brokerage trading account with IB. You also need to download and install the stand-alone TWS Trader Work Station software from the IB web site. This allows Ensign to connect to IB as a data source. 

In Ensign Windows, click the  Setup | Connection  menu and select Interactive Brokers as the 1st Data Source.  Place a check mark in the 'Close Accept Connection window' box to auto-close a TWS window that appears when connecting to IB. 

Optionally enter your IB User Name and Password on the Connection form.  This is necessary if you want Ensign to auto-connect to IB.   Then click the 'Connect to IB' button, and Ensign will run the Trader Workstation (TWS) and connect to the Interactive Brokers (IB).   The Host Port should be 7496.  A 'Reconnect' time can be entered to reconnect to the IB data-feed each day. The TWS software has a disconnect time each day, and the reconnect time will connect Ensign back to the TWS software (example: 01:10).

Check the  'Auto Run/Connect TWS'  check box to have Ensign Windows automatically run TWS and connect to the IB feed when Ensign runs.

Click menu Setup | Manager and enter on this list the symbols that you trade.   A symbol must be on this list for the data to be requested from the TWS  server.   Futures symbols will use the eSignal format which is the root symbol, space, month letter, year digit.   Example:   ES H9.    Continuation symbol format is the root symbol, space, and #F.  Example:  ES #F.    Index symbols begin with a $ character.   Example:  $TRIN  and  $INDU.

Ensign Windows works great with the IB feed.  Ensign Windows includes Chart history data from DTN Market Access in addition to the refresh history available from Interactive Brokers.  Refresh from charts or from the Database Manager to download the history.  You will get great charts and real-time data.  Your total cost for real-time data and Ensign Windows could be as low as $49.95 per month (add $20 to IB if you do not execute enough trades per month).

Chart history (refresh) coverage included with Ensign for the IB version:

Ensign Windows can refresh tick and intra-day bar history from Interactive Brokers.   With Interactive Brokers as the refresh source, the breadth of Ensign's refresh coverage for foreign exchanges includes the DTB, HKFE, MEFFRV, SGX, SNFE, Forex symbols and others.

Tick and intra-day chart data is current to the exchange's delay requirement when using DTN Market Access as the refresh source, and through the current tick when using Interactive Brokers as the refresh source.  An 'IB' entry in the table means the refresh data is only available from Interactive Brokers.  The Daily bar for today for some exchanges may not be available until after the market closes.

Interactive Brokers can be used simultaneously with the TransAct Futures feed, and with the FXCM Forex feed.

read more » IB Symbol Guide
watch video » Setup Interactive Brokers

Frequently Asked Questions:

• Q:  What is the proper sequence to connect Ensign Windows to the feed?
  A:  Run the Traders Workstation software and connect to your IB account.
  In TWS you must check the 'Enable ActiveX and Socket Clients' menu as shown here.

In TWS click menu Configure | API | Trusted IP Addresses.  

On the form for Trusted IP Addresses, click the Create button and enter the address  127.0.0.1.  Then close these forms by clicking the OK buttons.

Entering 127.0.0.1 as a trusted IP address will eliminate the prompt from TWS to 'Accept IB Connection'.

• Q:  Does it matter whether the TWS is the installed program or the Internet Explorer Java applet?
  A:  Either TWS can be used, however, the Auto connect and reconnect sequence was designed for the stand alone TWS program, not for the Internet Explorer Java applet.
• Q:  What are some of the advantages of the Interactive Brokers feed?
  A:  The primary advantage is cost.  There is no charge for the IB feed for real-time US quotes as long as your trading generates $30 in commissions per month.  Otherwise there is a monthly $10 fee for the IB feed.  Also, the IB feed seems to be very fast and timely.
• Q:  What are some of the disadvantages of the Interactive Brokers feed?
• A: 1)   IB does not have pit traded futures.  The scope for futures is limited to those that trade electronically, such as  ES Z6, NQ Z6, and YM Z6.
  2)  IB does not have the TIKI and PREM symbols.
       The IB symbol for TICK is  $TICK-NYSE and TRIN is $TRIN-NYSE.
  3)  IB does not have a historical chart database.  Ensign Windows overcomes this by downloading tick, intra-day, daily, weekly and monthly data from DTN Market Access servers.
  4)  Ensign has the above refresh data for US and Canadian stocks, futures and indices, LIFFE, IPE, EuroNext, Eurex, and daily refresh data for all foreign stock exchanges.
• Q:  What is the symbol format for US and foreign index symbols?
  A:  Ensign's implementation uses a $ as a prefix.  Examples:   $INDU   $TICK-NYSE   $NDX
• Q:  What is the symbol format for futures?
  A:  Ensign's implementation uses the symbol root, space, month, year.  Example:  ES Z6
• Q:  What is the symbol format for foreign exchange futures?
  A:  Append a dash and the exchange to the futures symbol.  
        Examples:  ESTX50 U6-DTB     DAX U5-DTB
• Q:  What is the symbol format for Canadian stocks?
  A:  Append a dash and the exchange to the stock symbol.  Example:  CNR-TSE
        Example:    JNN-VENTURE
• Q:  Ensign no longer reconnects in the middle of the night to TWS. 
  A:  The process is not broken.  In my testing I set the TWS time to exit a couple minutes into the future and configured the Ensign reconnect time to be 2 minutes later, and then watched the round trip event of TWS exit and Ensign rerunning and connecting to the TWS automatically.  I suspect the user does not have a valid time entered for reconnecting.  The time is to be military time, in the format of hh:mm. So a reconnect at 1 a.m. is entered as 01:00.  The reconnect time is entered on the Setup | Connection form in Ensign, and the disconnect time is configured in the TWS on menu Configure | Misc | Exit.

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, bonds and ETFs.  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, bonds, and ETFs on over 50 market centers in 14 countries from a single account.

Notice from IB:

Interactive Brokers' monthly activity minimum (commissions & other fees) is $20 for accounts with balances under $2,000 (or USD equivalent).  Accounts with greater than $2,000 (or USD equivalent) will be subject to a $10 monthly activity minimum.

watch video » Setup Interactive Brokers