I think it was only a matter of time before these two elements come together. I usually drink 4-5 cups of coffee a day and almost exclusively at my desk. It was a full cup as well I had to quickly move my work files, phones and other electronic devices. It was my keyboard that bore the brunt of the coffee spill. I took the batteries out right away and flipped it upside down to dry out.

The Cleanup – How to Disassemble an Apple Wireless Keyboard

I left the keyboard to completely dry before testing it. Luckily the keyboard still worked however some keys were sticky and nearly impossible to press, other keys would not spring back.Initially I thought I would have to fully disassemble the keyboard, before doing that I decided to take the keys off first.

Removing Keys from the Keyboard

To remove the keys a measured level of force will be required. I found the best way to do it was slide a small flat head screw driver under the bottom corner of keys then i got my finger underneath the the top corner and gently released the clip at the top. The key is still attached to the hinge at the bottom but will easily slide off.

Click for Larger Image.

As you can see from the image above it is very easy to break a hinge, clip or the mechanism all together. Be aware that special keys have different hinge/clip placements. Before trying to remove these keys ensure you check which way they are clipped in. I found using my electronics magnifying glass helped me determine where the clips were.

Keys Off – Time to Cleanup

Before you take the keys off it is a good idea to photograph or write down exact key layout.  With the keys off I got some cotton buds and some cleaning alcohol and went to work. The image below shows why the keys were sticking.

To clean the back of keys I used the cleaning alcohol and a chux cloth.

All that was left to do was put the keys back on and test. I found it easier to place the keys back on the hinge and then clip them back in. My keyboard is now working perfectly I didn’t break a single key or hinge. Now I am being a lot more careful with my coffee drinking habit addiction.

Note: This will probably void your warranty and I don’t recommend you try this as it can be easy to break keys if not careful. 

Design Decisions

I have looked around at the various off the shelf trading system and execution solutions like NinjaTrader and eTrade and none of them meet my needs completely. So I have decided to write my own software solution.  I know the saying about trying to re-invent the wheel. Depending on the quality of the final product I will decide if the code is of a high enough quality for release or not.

Requirements

Whenever I write software I first write down a list of core requirements and then I decide what tools or language to use. For this project the quick back of the envelope requirements are:

• Fast Execution.
• Code portability.
• Separation between data acquisition / warehousing, trade execution and strategy testing.

Data Acquisition Requirements

• Run on custom compiled GUI less Free BSD or Linux system.
• Hardware requirements: Large physical storage, large RAM,  average dual core CPU and gigabit ethernet (remember PCI bus speed may slow down transfer).
• Code written in C/C++, allow strategy testing module remote connection, configuration controlled by text file and separate IPC monitoring/reporting thread.

Strategy Testing Requirements

• GUI written in C/C++or Java, connect to data store, node based editor, run on UNIX/Linux based OS and nodes contain standard API functionality.
• Report generation.

Execution Engine Requirements

• Speed, Written in C/C++, GUI less, co-location ability, load compiled strategies,  error recovery and separate IPC monitoring/reporting thread.
• Report generation.

These requirements are all fairly vague and will be refined much further during the initial design phase. This quick brainstorming exercise helps get a bigger picture of what I am looking to achieve with this development project.

Data Acquisition Engine

This is the first component that I will be working on. The best way for me to develop the engine will be via the use of a virtual machine. Virtual machine technology with current CPU hardware support means I can develop  at near native speed. Anyone who has done any database design or worked with financial data sets will understand the tedious nature of this component. Time to evaluate different data warehousing and schema design that will allow for speed and scalability.

What do I need from a computer

1. Large Screen.
2. Needs to run all trading applications.
3. Needs to be fast. (Not ultra fast).
4. Ability to develop for multiple devices.
5. Decent amount of RAM.
6. Large hard drive.
7. Simple.
8. Good Value for money.

With all these requirements in mind I decided to go with the new 27 Inch iMac model. You can read about the full specifications of this machine 27” iMac, below is a quick rundown:

• 3.06 Intel Core 2 Duo
• 4 gig of RAM.
• 1 terabyte hard drive
• 27 inch backlight LED screen (love the resolution of this machine)

Running my Trading Software

Here is where things get a little more complicated if you want to run most trading software you will need to run Windows. Essentially you have three options for running Windows based software:

1. You can use a virtual machine.
2. You can use Crossover Office or Darwine (note: .NET not supported).
3. Use boot camp and dual boot with OS X.

Each option has it’s strengths and weaknesses, however after weighing all the options I have decided to go with Parallels Desktop version 5. Parallels has excellent integration within OS X and coherence mode allows me to run my Windows applications and OS X applications side by side.  Below is a screenshot:

So far in my limited testing I have not come across an issue running my applications in a virtualized environment. The applications run fast enough for my needs and I can export my virtual machine and run my trading system from multiple locations. It will be interesting to see how this virtualized environment performs with some statistical arbitrage systems. I am also looking forward to getting 64 bit version of Matlab up and running under OS X.

Possible Failures

Note: We will ignore server or broker side failures.

Power failure

Loss of power supply would render computer, router and some telecommunication system unusable.

Hardware Failure

• Multiple components could fail leaving computer unusable.
• Router or modem could fail.

Telecommunication Failure

• Phone line fail
• Internet Service provider fail

This is offcourse a very simplified list of possible failures, however it encompasses the most probable failures you will encounter.

The Solution

Laptop + Wireless Internet Plan

The solution is very simple you need to ensure you have a backup computer that has an independent power supply and a wireless Internet connection with a second Internet service provider and communication line.

Well that is pretty obvious I here you saying. The reason I am writing this post is it is relatively cheap and easy to include this redundancy in your general trading strategy, however few do.

How much does this cost ?

For approximately AU$1000 you can purchase a laptop and wireless USB Internet plan. This is in Australia I am sure options would be available to my overseas readers. 

The Laptop

A cheap Dell Inspiron 15 should be sufficient for our needs features include:

• 2.16 Ghz Celeron processor (not fast but sufficient)
• 2 gig RAM
• 160 GB hard drive
• Windows Vista Home Basic

In Australia 3 offers very affordable prepaid wireless broadband I am sure similar offers are available overseas. 

Keeping  your Backup Computer in Sync

The easiest way to keep both computers synchronised is with the use of SyncToy.  This tool allows you to mirror your working environment on two computers. This can be achieved either over a network or by using an external hard drive.

Download and install SyncToy on both computers.

Setup the folders you wish to synchronise, making sure on the second computer you reverse the right and left folders.

Choose the settings for the  folder pair.

After running SyncToy on both computers you should see a screen similar to the one above.

You may have to play with SyncToy and the folders you choose to synchronise for optimal results.

The most important thing when setting up a trading platform is to define your requirements. Each individual has differing needs so no one size fits all system will suit the needs of everybody. I will provide details about how I have gone about this process, but it should be remembered that your needs may vary.

Trading Platforms
A trading platform is a software interface that allows you to communicate with your broker or market maker. This interface allows you to buy and sell currency modify orders and communicate with your broker. These interfaces can be broken down into two categories, standalone software programs or browser based java programs.

Standalone software programs are separate programs written for a particular Operating System. Nearly all of these require a Windows 2000 operating system or better. These programs are much more stable and provide increased processing speeds.

Browser based programs usually employ Java to make there platform accessible across multiple Operating Systems. These browser-based systems provide improved flexibility, as they do not require a particular Operating System they just require a Java Virtual Machine or a standards compliant browser. I will also include java based platforms in the browser-based category even though they may appear to be a standalone program they do in fact run on a virtual machine and do not have direct access to your computers hardware. These platforms tend to be slower and can become completely inoperable without an Internet connection.

I have a preference for standalone trading platforms, as they are faster more stable and have the ability to work offline. A windows operating system is a necessity for online currency trading.

Requirements
This is a crucial stage it is often very helpful to make a list of things that you require from a trading computer system. I will include my list of things that I require of my computer system:

Secure
Operating System cannot be easily accessed by a third party, as it would hold all my research on my proprietary trading systems. 

Stable
The computer needs to be able to go for 5.5 continuous days without needing to be reset and without crashing.

Dual Monitor Display
The computer needs to be capable of outputting video to two monitors. It is very important when trading that you have all the information required easily accessible.

Large data storage capacity
Multiple back tests using one minute data quickly uses hard drive capacity therefore a large fault tolerant hard drive is required.

Ability to send and receive faxes
This encompasses hardware and software required to send and receive faxes directly from the computer, as opposed to using another third party device.

Broadband Internet Connection  
A fast network connection is imperative in getting your order processed in a timely manner.

Backup and Recovery
I require that important trading documents, my trading journal and other key documents be backed up, in the event of a hard drive failure.

Powerful Financial Analysis Software
I require software to carry out complex financial and mathematical modelling and be able to write further software extending functionality of such a program.

No Excess Bloat
Loosely translated this means that I do not need a top state of the art system with features I will never use. This system will be designed purely for currency trading and online trading.

Redundancy
Failure recovery is crucial when trading during volatile market times.

I am in a position where I have more than one computer (three to be exact); therefore I will be converting one computer to my primary trading system. This will allow me to use this computer solely for Forex Trading and research.

I am currently running Windows XP Professional, however with Vista being released I think the wise thing is to upgrade as I will be using Office 2007 extensively. Vista also has better security and increased functionality.
Now I will go through my requirements that I have listed above and determine if I need to upgrade any components.

CPU
The CPU or central processing unit is the heart of the computer system. Put simply it handles the processing of instructions. The CPU in my computer system is an Intel Pentium 4 running at 1.8GHz. This is more then adequate for trading needs and upgrading to Vista.

Memory
The memory or more specifically the Random Access Memory or RAM is memory that allows data to be accessed in any order and holds running program data. The RAM in my computer system is 1.5GB. This is definitely on the low side for running Vista and I will consider an upgrade.

Video Card
The video card sometimes referred to as the graphics card, outputs data to a monitor to be displayed. The graphics card in my system is a 128MB Radeon 9550. It has dual monitor output. This at the bare minimum level for Vista and I will definitely upgrade this component.

Hard Drive
The hard drive is the primary storage device on the computer. In my computer system I have an 80GB primary hard drive and a 40GB back up drive for increased redundancy.  At this stage 80GB is sufficient for my needs but this component can be upgraded easily.

Fax Modem
A fax modem or modem allows for the transmission of data from a computer via the phone lines. The fax modem in my computer system is an internal 56k modem. This allows me to send and receive faxes and provides a redundancy channel if my broadband connection fails.

Ethernet Card
The Ethernet card allows for a standardized way to connect two devices together. In my computer system I have two 10/100 cards. This is sufficient for connecting to my ADSL2+ modem and a spare for connecting to a second computer.

DVD/CD Burner
A DVD/ CD drive provides read/write access to external media such as CD and DVD’s.  I have a standard DVD drive and CD burner, which is sufficient for my trading system needs.

 In conclusion it is most important when building or buying a computer system for trading you need to clearly define your requirements. This is such a personal and individual process that it is hard to give generalised advice, if you do however choose to run Vista and are splashing out on a new system I would recommend:

CPU: Dual Core 1.8GHz or more this can be AMD or Intel dependent on your preference.
Memory: 2GB of RAM.
Video Card: PCIe 256MB or more, brand can come down to personal preference. Make sure its DirectX 10 compatible. Most cards come standard with 2 monitor outputs check to ensure this.
Hard Drive: Two SATA 160 GB Hard drives with 7200 RPM or higher and 16MB Cache.
DVD/CD Burner any kind.