Applies to: ATAS (Windows) and ATAS X (Windows and macOS). The Rithmic connection works the same way in both.
Rithmic is a market data and order routing service for futures. Many futures brokers and prop firms give their clients a Rithmic account. This article explains what you need before you connect Rithmic to ATAS, how to add the connection, which server to choose, and what to do if the connection fails.
What you need before you connect
- A Rithmic login and password from your broker or prop firm. ATAS does not issue Rithmic logins and does not sell Rithmic market data. Your ATAS plan, including Ultra, does not include Rithmic data. The login, the password and the name of the Rithmic system come from the broker or prop firm that opened your account, usually in an email. If you do not have a broker or prop firm yet, Rithmic publishes the list of brokers and prop firms it works with on its website.
- Or a free Rithmic demo. Rithmic offers a free 14-day demo with real-time data. This is a separate registration on the Rithmic website and is not the same as the ATAS 14-day trial. During registration, select Non-Professional in the market data agreement and activate your Rithmic user with the link from the Rithmic email. Your demo login is the email you registered with, and the password is the one you created. The step-by-step guide is in the article Rithmic Demo Registration.
- An ATAS Pro or Ultra plan, or a Pro or Ultra trial. On the Start and Plus plans, the Rithmic connection cannot be added: ATAS shows the message "Your current plan does not allow you to add US&EU connectors". The Pro plan allows 3 active connections at the same time, Ultra has no limit. The ATAS Sim and dxFeed 15-minute delayed connections do not count toward this limit.
- If your ATAS license comes from a prop firm, the connection list shows only that prop firm's connection and its servers. The general Rithmic connection is not shown. To connect a Rithmic account from another firm or broker, you need your own ATAS Pro or Ultra plan.
- Market data for the exchanges you trade. Rithmic delivers the exchanges that your broker or prop firm has enabled for your account. For example, gold futures (GC, MGC) need COMEX data. If an exchange is not in your subscription, ask your broker or prop firm to add it.
Add the Rithmic connection
1. Open the Connections window and click Add connection. In ATAS, the Connections window opens from the main window. In ATAS X, see the article ATAS X Connections Window.
2. Select Rithmic in the US and EU markets group (or type Rithmic in the search field) and click Next.
3. The first time you add a Rithmic connection, ATAS shows an agreement about OCO orders. For the Rithmic connection, OCO (One Cancels Other) orders are simulated by ATAS on your computer, not on the broker's server. ATAS cancels the second order of an OCO group only while ATAS is connected. If the connection drops and one order of the group is filled, the other order stays active at the broker and can also be filled. If you agree, click I Accept, Please Continue.
4. On the Basic tab, enter Login and Password and select Server. The settings on the Advanced tab can stay at their default values. Click OK.
Advanced settings:
| Setting | Tab | What to enter |
|---|---|---|
| Connection name | Basic | Any name. It is shown in the Connections window next to the connection type, for example "Rithmic (My account)". |
| Login | Basic | Your Rithmic user ID from the broker, prop firm or Rithmic demo email. It is not your ATAS login and not your account number. ATAS removes extra spaces at the beginning and the end automatically. |
| Password | Basic | Your Rithmic password. |
| Server | Basic | The Rithmic system and gateway, for example "Apex. Chicago Area". See the next section. The default value is "Rithmic paper trading. Chicago Area", which is correct only for Rithmic demo and paper trading accounts. |
| Use RMS Commission | Advanced | Off by default. |
| Aggregated quotes | Advanced | On by default. Rithmic sends simplified market data: the CPU load is lower, but updates are less frequent. Turn it off if you use MBO (Market by Order) data. |
| Connect via RTrader Pro | Advanced | Off by default. Leave it off for a direct connection. See "Connect through R|Trader Pro" below. |
| Connection timeout (ms) | Advanced | 10000 by default. You do not need to change it. |
Choose the server: system and gateway
Each item in the Server list has two parts: the Rithmic system and the gateway, for example "LucidTrading. Chicago Area". ATAS does not choose the server automatically.
- System. Choose the system that your broker or prop firm named in the Rithmic email. It is the same system you select when you log in to R|Trader Pro. A wrong system is the most common reason why a correct login and password are rejected.
- Rithmic demo and paper trading accounts: Rithmic Paper Trading.
- Prop firms with their own system in the list: Apex, Bulenox, DayTraders.com, FundedFuturesNetwork, Legends Trading, LucidTrading, MES Capital, PropShopTrader, TheTradingPit, ThriveTrading, TopstepTrader, TradeFundrr, Tradeify. Usually the firm's email names its own system, but follow the email: some accounts use Rithmic Paper Trading.
- Other brokers and prop firms: the system from the email, for example Rithmic 01 or Rithmic Paper Trading. If you are not sure, ask the firm which Rithmic system your account uses.
- Gateway. Choose the location closest to you: for example, Chicago Area or NYC Area in the USA, Frankfurt or Europe in Europe, Singapore, Tokyo or Sydney in Asia and Australia.
Connect through R|Trader Pro (optional)
R|Trader Pro is Rithmic's own trading program for Windows. You do not need it to use Rithmic in ATAS: the direct connection is enough. Use the "Connect via RTrader Pro" mode if you keep R|Trader Pro open with the same Rithmic login. Without this mode, logging in from ATAS can log you out of R|Trader Pro, because Rithmic keeps one session per login.
In this mode, ATAS receives market data and history through R|Trader Pro, and sends orders directly to Rithmic. Because of this, Login, Password and Server in ATAS must still be filled in correctly.
1. Start R|Trader Pro and log in with Allow Plugins turned on.
2. In the ATAS Rithmic connection settings, turn on Connect via RTrader Pro on the Advanced tab, and on the Basic tab select the same System and Gateway in Server as in R|Trader Pro.
3. Keep R|Trader Pro running while ATAS is connected. The Aggregated quotes option in ATAS has no effect in this mode.
On macOS, use the direct connection: R|Trader Pro is a Windows program.
Check that the connection works
- In the Connections window, the Rithmic connection shows Connected in the State column.
- Open a chart of an instrument from the Rithmic connection. An instrument with a clock icon comes from the dxFeed 15-minute delayed connection: its data is delayed, and your Rithmic account is not available for it. Open the same instrument without the clock icon.
- Use the current contract month or the continuous contract. After a contract expires, its chart stops updating.
- In the Trading panel, select your Rithmic account. If the account is not in the list, check that the chart is open on an instrument from the Rithmic connection and that your broker or prop firm has activated the account. An account in the list does not prove by itself that data arrives: check that the chart updates.
- If you have several connections, tick Quotes provider for only one of them in the Connections window. This connection supplies data to charts, DOM and other windows.
If the login is rejected
The messages "Login failed" and "Repository Connection Login Failed. Please contact the FCM/IB who issued your login ID" mean that Rithmic did not accept the login, the password or the selected system. The second message comes from Rithmic itself, and ATAS shows it as it is. After a rejected login, ATAS stops reconnecting, because repeated attempts can get the account blocked by Rithmic. Check the following in this order, then connect again.
1. Check the system in the Server field. It must be exactly the system named in the Rithmic email from your broker or prop firm. For some prop firms it is their own system (for example, Apex), for others it is Rithmic Paper Trading. If a different system is selected, the login is rejected.
2. Log in with the same login and password in R|Trader Pro (Windows) or in the web version of R|Trader. If the login fails there too (R|Trader Pro often shows "Login Failed. Please contact Administrator"), the problem is with the Rithmic account, not with ATAS. If your Rithmic account is new, make sure it is activated with the link from the Rithmic email and that you accepted the Rithmic agreements at the first login to R|Trader Pro or the web version of R|Trader. If you changed or forgot the password, reset it. For a Rithmic demo, contact Rithmic. For a broker or prop firm account, contact the firm that gave you the login.
3. If R|Trader Pro logs in, but ATAS does not, select in ATAS the same system and gateway as in R|Trader Pro. Make sure the login is not used in another program at the same moment, and check the "Connect via RTrader Pro" option on the Advanced tab: it must be on only if R|Trader Pro is running.
Other messages and problems
| What you see | Why it happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Rithmic is not in the list of connections | Your ATAS license comes from a prop firm and shows only that firm's connection, or your plan does not include Rithmic. | Use the prop firm's connection from the list, or get an ATAS Pro or Ultra plan. |
| "Your current plan does not allow you to add US&EU connectors" | The Start and Plus plans do not allow Rithmic. | Upgrade to Pro or Ultra or start a Pro or Ultra trial, then restart ATAS. |
| "Logged in from elsewhere, for example RTrader Pro or another platform instance", or the connection drops 20–40 seconds after connecting | The same Rithmic login is used in another program or on another computer, and Rithmic closes the older session. | Close the other session: R|Trader Pro, another platform, ATAS on another computer or VPS, a broker's web or mobile app. To use R|Trader Pro and ATAS together, use the "Connect via RTrader Pro" mode. |
| "You are using the RTrader plugin connection, but RTrader is not currently running" or "…not currently logged in" | "Connect via RTrader Pro" is on, but R|Trader Pro is not running or is not logged in with Allow Plugins. | Start R|Trader Pro and log in with Allow Plugins, or turn off "Connect via RTrader Pro" for a direct connection. |
| "Bad Input" | Windows uses a non-Gregorian calendar. | In the Windows region settings, switch the calendar to Gregorian and connect again. |
| "Connection timeout." | The connection did not open in time. A firewall, antivirus, VPN or network restriction can block it. | Check your internet connection, allow ATAS in the firewall and antivirus, try without VPN, then connect again. |
| Connected, but only the Demo account is shown, or the data is delayed by 15 minutes | The chart is open on an instrument from the dxFeed 15-minute delayed connection (clock icon). | Open the instrument from the Rithmic connection, without the clock icon. |
| Connected, but the chart does not move | The contract has expired, or the exchange is not in your data subscription. | Open the current contract month or the continuous contract. If the chart still does not move, check the same instrument in R|Trader Pro: if there is no data there either, contact your broker or prop firm. |
| Market data is delayed | The delay can come from Rithmic, from the network or from the computer load. | Compare the time of the same trades in R|Trader Pro and in ATAS Smart Tape. If R|Trader Pro is also late, the delay comes from Rithmic. If only ATAS is late, contact ATAS support. |
| "Heartbeat has been quiet for … seconds" | Rithmic reports possible connection problems. Order or position updates may be delayed. | Reconnect Rithmic before you continue trading. ATAS asks for confirmation when you close a position after this message. |
| "Your platform license has expired. Please renew the license to restore your access to this connector." | Your ATAS license has expired. With a prop firm license, this happens when the prop firm license ends. | Renew your ATAS license. For a prop firm license, contact the prop firm. |
| "Some orders have been sent to the broker server, but the response wasn't received…" | ATAS did not get a reply from the broker for orders it already sent. The position in ATAS can differ from the real one. | Check your internet connection. Before you send a new order, check your position and orders in R|Trader Pro or in your broker's platform. |
| An order is rejected: "permission denied", "not allowed to place order", "Order can be placed only by administrator" or "The risk management system rejected the request" | The message comes from Rithmic or your broker: your account has trading restrictions or a risk limit on the broker's side. | Contact your broker or prop firm. ATAS cannot change these limits. |
| MBO data does not appear | MBO needs Level 2 data in your Rithmic subscription, and the Aggregated quotes option must be off. | Turn off Aggregated quotes on the Advanced tab of the Rithmic connection settings. If MBO still does not appear, ask your broker or prop firm whether your subscription includes it. |
Good to know
- Rithmic and Rithmic (extended) are two different connection types. Rithmic (extended) has separate logins for the order connection and the market data connection. If your broker or prop firm did not tell you to use Rithmic (extended), choose Rithmic.
- One Rithmic login can be used for one session at a time. If you use the same login in another platform, close it before you connect in ATAS, or use the "Connect via RTrader Pro" mode with R|Trader Pro.
- Market data for MBO, Level 2 and options depends on your Rithmic subscription. See the articles about these data types.
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