Does computer clock synch matter?

D

dandxg

I have been running atomic clock synch and woodies clock to let me know when my 5 minutes is coming close which had been working well.

I recently installed a program and coincidentally checked my clock synch manually by pinging server and it was off 30 seconds! Does this affect my candles closing on my charts. I believe it has and cost me money because I took a signal that wasn't valid! Dam it!

I would like some feedback from those of you techincally inclined folks that would know if internal computer clock synchs affects your charting program via candles or bar close or open when they should.

TIA

Dan
 
I know this won't help much...

I doubt your internal computer clock has anything to do with it. I don't know this for sure, but you wouldn't think it would matter.

It should be in synch to your brokers clock, not yours.
 
Thanks folks,

I guess I will have to check it myself and see. The reason I asked is I noticed it had been 5 minutes and a new candle hadn't appeard? I check the clock synch program and it was off by about 30 seconds. I thought that might be the problem?

I have heard, please correct me if I am wrong, the some charting programs will no start a new candle until a new trade fires off? I think that is what IB does?
 
The IB data feed is NOT time stamped, so any charting software using the feed must use the PC clock to determine bar start/end. When an application first connects to TWS it receives a message with the IB server time. The charting application MAY choose to use this to apply a correction to the PC clock time for more accurate determination of each bar start/end. In any case it would be prudent to keep the PC clock synchronized via NTP.
 
Quote from dandxg:

"... I have heard, please correct me if I am wrong, the some charting programs will no start a new candle until a new trade fires off? I think that is what IB does?
More...

Usually the next bar won't show until there is a price change, but that doesn't change the time params of the bar. That is, say, on a 5 minute chart and the last bar was 12:00, but the next price change isn't until 12:02... the bar will still be 12:00 to 12:05.

In most charting packages there is an option to "synchronize to market time", so you might want to look for it. Or, there are free downloads to periodically reset your computer clock to the official time atomic clock in Ft. Collins, CO.
 
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