> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://start.atas.net/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://start.atas.net/step-4-connect-a-quote-source.md).

# Step 4: Connect a quote source

## Connecting market data: a Rithmic walkthrough

Rithmic delivers market information at high speed and provides accurate exchange data. This guide covers two scenarios: how to set up a free 14-day trial to try things out, and how to connect a full paid data feed through the broker AMP.

### Part 1. Signing up for the free trial (14-Day Free Trial)

If you’re just getting to know Rithmic and want to test its data in ATAS, start with the free trial.

#### Step 1. Go to the sign-up page

1. Open the official website [rithmic.com](https://www.rithmic.com/).
2. In the top right corner, click the green **Free Trial for New Rithmic Users** button.

<figure><img src="/files/d6sUDVoasfBSg3v9GQQ2" alt="the Free Trial button on the Rithmic website"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### Step 2. Fill in the registration form

Complete all required fields using Latin characters:

* **First name / Last name —** your first and last name;
* **Email —** a valid email address (the confirmation will be sent there);
* **Create a password / Confirm password —** choose and confirm a password;
* **Phone / Country / Street / City / Zip —** your contact phone number and home address;
* **Enter the code you see —** type in the verification code from the image (captcha).

Once the form is complete, click **Sign up for Rithmic’s FREE 14-Day Trial**.

<figure><img src="/files/GTNQwJo66GigC7Xo6447" alt="the Rithmic registration form"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### Step 3. Accept the user agreements

1. In the window confirming your User ID, click **Next**.

<figure><img src="/files/Emlh7UCsR875i19w26vF" alt="User ID confirmation window"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

2. Review the terms of the license agreement and click **I Agree** at the bottom of the page.

<figure><img src="/files/Uu1EB40o5MB0HhSsK4No" alt="Rithmic license agreement"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

3. Specify your market participant status:

* Select **Non-Professional** (if you are an individual and not a certified professional market participant).
* Click **Submit**.

<figure><img src="/files/uB0mJ18QXn3Cky3VwrMZ" alt="choosing market participant status"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### Step 4. Activate your account and connect in ATAS

Once you’ve submitted the form, check your inbox:

1. Find the email from Rithmic and follow the activation link.
2. After that, you’ll see a confirmation that your account has been activated.

<figure><img src="/files/R0ZcSH5h8BAIi04iTrpw" alt="account activation confirmation"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**💡 Important when connecting to ATAS:**

When setting up the Rithmic connection in ATAS, make sure to select **Rithmic Paper Trading** in the server field — this is the server for trial and demo accounts. Use the login and password you provided during registration.

### Part 2. Buying a full subscription (using the broker AMP as an example)

The free trial is time-limited. To purchase a full monthly subscription to Rithmic exchange data, you’ll need to go through an intermediary broker. We’ll walk through the process with **AMP Global**, which lets you set up the subscription when you open a trading account.

#### Step 1. Open the data setup section

1. Log in to your AMP account.
2. In the left sidebar, go to **Trade Desk ➔ Live Trading Setup Requests**.
3. In the form, fill in:

* **AMP (USA) - Account Number** — your account number;
* **Request Type** — select Initial Setup (new).
* The Email, Country and State fields are filled in automatically from your profile.

<figure><img src="/files/xhoqFCawGHRcVPTrdHel" alt=" the Live Trading Setup Requests form in the AMP account area"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### Step 2. Choose the data provider and the depth of market data

In the **Which DataFeed**? drop-down list, select **Rithmic**. The list of available exchange packages appears below.

<figure><img src="/files/p8cKgR7a6vtXGj1Izv3Z" alt="selecting Rithmic and the exchange packages"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**The difference between data depth types**

* **Top-of-Book (Level 1):** delivers the time and sales feed and the best bid and ask prices. That’s enough to build clusters, footprint charts, volume profiles and delta.
* **Market-Depth (Level 2):** includes Level 1 plus the full depth of the limit order book (DOM). This is what you need for Smart DOM, Heatmap charts and liquidity analysis.

**⚡ What sets Rithmic apart:** market depth is delivered in the detailed **MBO (Market-by-Order)** format. This is the raw exchange stream, which records every individual order up to the moment it is filled: ID, order submission time down to the millisecond, order side, price level, size, position in the execution queue and any change of state.

This data is what powers the premium **MBO Bundle** add-on — **Iceberg Tracker**, **Stop Runs** and **Sweeps Tracker**. These indicators visualize hidden limit orders, stop-run activity and aggressive market sweeps in real time, so you can analyze large-capital activity and hidden liquidity at the micro level yourself.

| Exchange package                               | What the subscription includes                                                                      | Who it suits                                                                            |
| ---------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Bundle — All CME markets                       | All four CME Group venues at once                                                                   | If you analyze assets across three or more venues (cheaper than buying them separately) |
| CME — Equity Indices, Currencies, Meats, Softs | Index futures (ES, NQ, RTY plus the micro contracts MES, MNQ), currencies (6E, 6J), meats and softs | The most popular choice for analyzing indices and currencies                            |
| CBOT — Financials, Grains                      | US Treasuries (ZB, ZN), grains (ZC, ZS, ZW), Mini-Dow (YM)                                          | If you work with government bonds, grains or the Dow Jones index                        |
| NYMEX — Energies                               | Crude oil (CL), natural gas (NG) and micro contracts (MCL)                                          | For analyzing energy markets                                                            |
| COMEX — Metals                                 | Gold (GC), silver (SI), copper (HG) and micro contracts (MGC)                                       | For working with precious and base metals                                               |
| EUREX Exchange Data                            | DAX indices (FDAX/FDXM), Euro Stoxx 50 (FESX), German bonds (FGBL). Billed in EUR                   | For analyzing European instruments                                                      |

#### ⚠️ Heads-up: the margin special offer

The line \***Special — $300 day trading margins**… at the bottom of the list **is not related to market data subscriptions**.

It’s an option for the broker’s intraday margin ($300 on mini contracts and $30 on micro contracts).

Margin is the amount held as collateral against a position opened within the day. Whether or not to tick this box is a separate decision, and it depends on your own risk management.

### 📌 Mandatory Rithmic fees and billing terms

When planning your budget, factor in the provider’s additional charges:

1. **Rithmic Connection Fee ($25.00/month):** a flat fee Rithmic charges for having a connected account (User ID). It applies on top of the cost of exchange data.
2. **Rithmic Trade Route ($0.10 per contract per side):** the order routing fee ($0.20 per round turn).
3. **Calendar month rule:** you are billed for a full calendar month with no pro-rata adjustment — even if you switch the feed on for a single day, you pay for the month.
4. **Subscription binding:** the exchange feed is tied to a specific login and cannot be shared across different accounts at the same time.

**Non-professional status:** the prices above apply to Non-Professional status. Exchange fees for professional market participants are significantly higher.

Fees and package availability are set by Rithmic, the exchanges and the broker, and may change. Check the current terms with your provider before subscribing.

***

ATAS provides tools for market analysis and data visualization and performs exclusively technical functions such as data processing and the construction of charts, indicators and other analytical tools. All decisions are made by the user based on their own analysis.