Introduction
IBCharts is a real-time charting application that uses Interactive Brokers Trading Workstation (TWS) to receive market data. You can use stocks, options, futures, futures options, indexes and currencies as data sources. The charts are highly customizable, supporting various types of charts and technical indicators. The ability to use separate workspaces allows you to better organize your charts.

Requirements

• an account with Interactive Brokers including market data subscription
• Interactive Brokers Trading Workstation installed and running

Startup
To allow IBCharts to receive market data, check "Configure->API->Enable ActiveX and Socket Clients" menu item from TWS. Ensure that IBCharts uses the same socket port as TWS, found in "Configure->API->Socket Port ...". You can set this port for IBCharts in "IB->Connection setup" menu. Also, if you use multiple clients for TWS, ensure that everyone uses a unique Client ID. By default, at startup IBCharts automatically connects to Trader Workstation. You will be prompted by Trader Workstation with a popup dialog "Accept incoming connection attempt?”. Click “Yes” to accept the connection.
You need to add to the "Securities List" all the securities for which you want to see the charts.

Trading hours
You can set the trading hours for a security in "Security list", or for a chart in “Chart properties”. The time period set in "Security list" is the period during which the application is storing the data history. The trading hours for a chart is the period for which the chart is working. For example, you can store history just from 9:30 to 16:00 but still see after hour charts. If you do not set the trading hours for the chart in "Chart properties", then the chart will take the trading hours of "Window security" from "Security list".
In the sample configuration file that came in the installation kit, the trading hours are Monday to Friday, 24 hours a day, because users from different time zones receive market data at different hours. To avoid storing unnecessary after-hours data, it is recommended to set the trading hours for every security according to the Exchange operating hours. For example, if you live in Western Europe and you want to trade a NASDAQ security, you should set the trading hours from 15:30 to 22:00.