The Connection Manager Application
The Connection Manager is a central component of the ST Hotkey Trader™ system. It is responsible for receiving execution commands from one or more Sender applications and forwarding them to one or more connected Receivers. It functions as the routing hub between input devices and trading terminals.
Installation and Environment
The Connection Manager can be installed on a local PC, within a local network, or on a remote server such as a VPS. It is compatible with both Windows and Linux operating systems, making it suitable for deployment on low-cost Linux-based VPS infrastructure.
Function and Role
The Connection Manager receives trading commands from the ST Hotkey Trader™ Sender application, which is typically installed on a PC connected to a custom hardware keyboard. Upon receiving these commands, the Connection Manager transmits them to all connected Receivers.
A Receiver is a Sierra Chart study applied to a chart or trading DOM. It processes incoming commands and executes them within Sierra Chart based on the logic defined in the system.
Scalability
The system supports high scalability:
- Multiple Senders: An unlimited number of Sender instances can connect to a single Connection Manager.
- Multiple Receivers: Similarly, an unlimited number of Receivers can be connected and addressed from the same node.
This architecture allows for flexible deployment across single or multiple trading workstations, physical machines, virtual environments, and network segments.
Benefits of a Distributed Architecture
The use of a distributed system with a dedicated Connection Manager offers clear advantages over connecting a hardware keyboard directly to Sierra Chart.
Sierra Chart’s native hotkey functionality is limited to the currently focused chart window. This means the user must manually bring the relevant chart into focus before a hotkey command can be executed. As a result, trading multiple markets simultaneously is not feasible without switching between chart windows.
This manual switching introduces two key limitations:
- Increased cognitive load — the user must remember which window is active and continuously manage focus across multiple charts.
- Execution delay — locating and selecting the correct window, then navigating its controls, typically takes several seconds.
In contrast, ST Hotkey Trader™ allows the user to execute trades across multiple instruments instantly, without needing to shift window focus. Each Receiver, regardless of where it is running, receives and processes commands in parallel. This enables true multi-market execution at the press of a button, with no interface interaction or window management required.