The FXCM API Has A Big Restriction

ATM can only log in to one FXCM account at any one time.

If you've setup ATM to run in many FXCM accounts, then ATM will have to log out from one, then log in to another, before it can place any trades.

Logging in to the FXCM trading platform, you can notice a distinct pause after you click the "login" button, while all your account information is downloaded and displayed. ATM has to download that same information and will have the same pause while it does so.

For example, when ATM downloads the account information for all FXCM accounts you have set up, here's what happens:

1. Log in to account #1 (with the noticeable pause)
2. Log out from account 1
3. Log in to account #2 (with the noticeable pause)
4. etc.

Logging out doesn't take long. So ATM will stay logged in wherever possible, in the hope that the next action it has to perform is for the same FXCM user that it's already logged in with.

But how to get around this restriction? Is there a way to setup ATM to trade in multiple FXCM accounts on a single login? Here's what the FXCM forum says:

You can request to set up a PAMM account, which allows you to login to a manager account and trade for all accounts mapped under the manager account.

It is possible to have more than one account in the accounts window. Additional accounts would be set up through our sales and support team along with the necessary paperwork, whether they are additional accounts for you, or accounts of others' that you are managing. Contact admin@fxcm.com to start the process.

One note is that if the accounts are on different servers, they would require separate logins, even if they are both your accounts, or the account owners have assigned you power of attorney to trade their account.

(Noting that you would only be able to find out if your accounts are on different servers by contacting FXCM).

I imagine it would be almost impossible to include a demo account and a live account under the same login. It is recommended, if you want to auto-trade in both a live account and a demo account at the same time, that you install ATM twice in two different directories. Then run both 'instances' of ATM - one for the live FXCM account, and one for the demo account. You would not need to worry about doing this though, if you do not care about the lag time required when logging in/logging out.

It would be appreciated if you have gone through the steps to make this work, that you contact us and let us know the steps you took to get it all sorted.
 

When Downloading Prices

This restriction should not have a large effect if you are just downloading prices.

If a user is currently logged in to FXCM, ATM will simply use that current connection to get the streaming price downloads. If nobody is logged in at the present time, FXCM streaming prices logs in with the "best" FXCM user:

1. The first 'real' user it comes across
2. The first 'demo' user it comes across if there are no real ones.