Physical buy/sell buttons for momentum traders

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by salamanderforex, Aug 21, 2020.

  1. Have you seen or have a big button like those EASY Buttons that you can press to buy or sell along with momentum? Have you seen someone else have it?

    I am wondering if there is one that can take slaps and abuse and that also has a light. I would like to program it to turn on light based on my strategy and to press it to execute when I feel like it.

    Thanks.
     
  2. Tavurth

    Tavurth

    You could write this using a ESP8266 pretty easily using an off the shelf large button, and hook up an LED inside to the ESP.

    Probably total cost would be around $20-30 for the whole button, but coding it might take you a while.

    For coding, host a server on your main machine listening for REST events, and just have the ESP post over WiFi to show a button trigger. Then pass-through those events to your favourite trading system on the trading rig.
     
  3. Thanks for the details.

    1- Is Wifi good enough for this? Should this be a USB interface? Though I like the Wifi option as button can be moved around.

    2- How is ESP module powered? If it's Wifi and mobile specially.

    3- How is this different from an Arduino for example?

    4- How would the off the shelf button press the button(?) On ESP? (Remember I want something that can take abuse.

    5- I am looking for many buttons like 10. Is ESP still the best option?

    6- LED needs power too...maybe use AA batteries? Is that feasible or will run out of power quickly? These buttons will be ON 24/7.

    7- I am wondering if there is already some sort of ready made button for these things? (Not a trading keyboard because I can't slap that).

    8- I am also wondering if using TWS I can use hot-keys with ESP for example OR a big mouse that looks like a ball that I can slap? Or hot-keys are not made for this?

    Thanks again,
     
  4. maxinger

    maxinger

    upload_2020-8-21_13-49-45.jpeg


    [​IMG]

    there are hundreds of them

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  5. Tavurth

    Tavurth

    You could use USB interface, but I've found WiFi to be better, moving around buttons & keeping things wireless is nice.
    WiFi is plenty fast (100MB/s) for your use case, which is sending a few bytes whenever you hit the button, and a few more when you check for a signal.

    You can power with a micro USB cable, or you can power with LiPO batteries. If your code is clean, a couple of AA batteries should last about a few months for a charge (depending on update frequency).

    ESP comes with built in WiFi and Bluetooth, and is cheaper.

    If you want something that can really take abuse, you could use an industrial button:
    https://bikerglen.com/blog/usb-big-red-button

    ESP takes signal on one of it's input pins, basically hook the button up to those pins. When the ESP gets that pin activated you just send some JSON to a web server running on your desktop.

    You can attach the LED to another pin, and check the server over WiFi for current system status. If the system status says light on, then just turn on the light from the ESP.

    Yep, ESP is very cheap, and if you have a good circuit layout, you can get a factory to basically build them all for you to a high level of production quality (if you want to sell them)

    Yep, I've made ESP projects using 4xAA which run for more than 6 months. LED takes a toll on power use, but if it's not on all the time should be ok.

    I'm not sure, if you make it though people will probably buy it from you.

    Hot keys would maybe be a better solution, if you can find a simple USB button, like that big "RETURN" key I saw a while ago

    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32963539887.html.


    ESP is if you're not afraid to take a project, and it's pretty simple once you know the basics.

    If you have no programming experience then this is going to be a bit of a tricky project. (The LED part is more difficult than the trade part)..,

    In this case I'd suggest finding someone on a makers site who would be able to build it for you. Price is probably significantly higher though.
     
    Last edited: Aug 21, 2020
    Axon and Bad_Badness like this.
  6. Tavurth

    Tavurth

    Basically you'd be looking at this circuit layout:

    https://www.circuito.io/app?components=513,9591,360216,942700

    If you click the "Code" tab, it gives you readymade code for the ESP so you can try it out!

    Then use something like NodeJS+Express on the trading PC to host a simple server which accepts connection from the ESP.
     
  7. Tavurth

    Tavurth

    About the robustness, the ESP should be no problem, they're very small and you can hide it somewhere inside the button so it doesn't take the smash.

    If they break, they're also cheap to replace (around $4 per piece.)

    There are several different versions of ESP also, probably you'd use NodeMCU to develop the button, and then ESP12 when you wanted to release it. (Which is just the tiny microcontroller without any extra stuff)
     
  8. Tavurth

    Tavurth

  9. 2rosy

    2rosy

    Tavurth likes this.
  10. natronix

    natronix

    you should use a DOM trading window with a easy to use mouse i like the comfort bluetooth moose that microsoft has i do well with it on TOS. You can place an order a few cents above the market price if you think your fill is to large.
     
    #10     Aug 21, 2020