QuantX-IB Bridge Server

One IB connection. Every script shares it. Zero clientId collisions.

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QX-IB Bridge Server is a thin multiplexer for traders already using ib_async, ib_insync, or direct IB Gateway/TWS scripts who have hit the same scaling wall: too many strategies, too many direct broker connections, and too many clientId conflicts. It is a FastAPI + SDK wrapper around ib_async, not a reimplementation of the IB stack, so the wire protocol, order state machines, and ticker logic still come from the real ib_async.IB.

Instead of opening many separate broker API sessions, the bridge keeps one managed IB connection alive and lets the rest of your scripts share it through a local HTTP/WebSocket layer. In practice, that means one real IB connection, many strategies, and a near-drop-in migration path.

This is not a replacement for the Interactive Brokers Python ecosystem. It is an operational upgrade for people already in it.

Why it exists

Without a bridge	With QuantX-IB Bridge
Every script connects directly to IB Gateway/TWS	One bridge process owns the real IB connection
Every script consumes an API client slot	Many scripts share a single connection
clientId collisions and contention	No collisions — bridge manages the single client
Scaling means connection juggling and manual clientId discipline	Scaling stays inside one shared bridge

Architecture at a glance

┌─────────────┐   ┌─────────────┐   ┌─────────────┐
│  Strategy 1 │   │  Strategy 2 │   │  Strategy N │
│  (SDK)      │   │  (SDK)      │   │  (SDK)      │
└──────┬──────┘   └──────┬──────┘   └──────┬──────┘
       │ HTTP/WS         │ HTTP/WS         │ HTTP/WS
       └─────────────────┼─────────────────┘
                         ▼
              ┌─────────────────────┐
              │  QX-IB Bridge       │
              │  FastAPI Server     │
              │  (single process)   │
              └──────────┬──────────┘
                         │ ib_async.IB
                         ▼
              ┌─────────────────────┐
              │  IB Gateway / TWS   │
              │  (1 connection)     │
              └─────────────────────┘

What ib_async does (you don't touch): wire protocol, serialization, order state machines, ticker price aggregation, event loop management.

What the bridge does: keeps one managed IB session open, exposes it over a local FastAPI + WebSocket server, and gives existing IB Python code a much cleaner way to scale.

What you keep

• Familiar IB() / connect() / disconnect() usage
• Familiar request patterns like reqHistoricalData(), placeOrder(), positions()
• Your existing Python scripts and strategy layout

What changes

• One import line: from qx_ibbridge import *
• Your scripts point at the local bridge instead of the raw broker socket

Quick start

Install the package:

pip install qx_ibbridge

Start the IB Gateway:

1. Download the latest IB Gateway from Interactive Brokers
2. Install and launch IB Gateway
3. Log in with your Interactive Brokers credentials
4. Ensure it listens on localhost:4004 (default)

Start the bridge:

qx-server --ib-host localhost --ib-port 4004 --host 127.0.0.1 --port 4002

Default local model:

• external IB Gateway/TWS API socket: localhost:4004
• local QuantX bridge server: localhost:4002

Drop-in SDK workflow

The same pip install qx_ibbridge package gives you both:

• the qx-server CLI for running the bridge server
• the qx_ibbridge import for drop-in strategy scripts

Then change your script from:

from ib_async import *
# or
from ib_insync import *

to:

from qx_ibbridge import *

and keep the same shape:

ib = IB()
ib.connect(host="localhost", port=4002)
print(ib.managedAccounts())

The SDK defaults to the local bridge at localhost:4002.

For ib_async users, this is the intended drop-in path. For ib_insync users, the workflow is the same in spirit: keep your IB-style code, but route it through one local bridge instead of many direct broker sessions.

Use it your way

1. Python

qx-server --ib-host localhost --ib-port 4004 --host 127.0.0.1 --port 4002

2. Desktop app

Download the latest desktop app from GitHub Releases.

If you prefer to launch the desktop UI from Python instead of downloading the packaged app:

pip install "qx_ibbridge[desktop]"
qx-ib-bridge-server-desktop

The desktop app is optional. It is only a launcher for the same bridge server, for users who prefer clicking a UI over running qx-server. It does not bundle IB Gateway, and it does not change the underlying bridge or SDK behavior. The core product already works through pip install qx_ibbridge; the desktop app is only an add-on for server-launch convenience.

Examples

• sample.py: direct ib_async example against raw IB Gateway/TWS
• sample_copy.py: bridge example using qx_ibbridge

Project layout

Directory	Purpose
server/	Canonical FastAPI implementation
ib_bridge_server/	Generic Python server package and CLI
qx_ibbridge/	Drop-in SDK package
qx_ib_bridge_server/	Desktop launcher

Behind this repo

QX-IB Bridge Server is open-sourced by Alpha Technologies.

Across the broader ecosystem, the team builds investor education, quant research, and operating workflows around systematic, data-driven trading.

• superinvestor.io and alpha-techlab.com — QuantX hands-on learning, guided challenges, live market sessions, and practical quant-investing courses
• fund.alpha-techlab.com — Regulated fund management and investors entry point

Acknowledgements

This project stands on the work of two open-source efforts:

• ib_async — the actively maintained IB API library that this bridge wraps. The bridge server delegates all wire-protocol, order state machine, and ticker logic to ib_async.IB, and the SDK re-exports its contract and order types so existing scripts keep working without change.

• ib_insync by Ewald de Wit — the original Python IB API library whose elegant synchronous-style API design this SDK is compatible with. ib_async is itself a maintained fork of ib_insync.

Disclaimer

This software is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. It is not financial advice, a solicitation to trade, or a guarantee of profitability. You are solely responsible for any trades placed using this software. The authors and contributors are not liable for any financial losses incurred.

Notes

• Not affiliated with Interactive Brokers
• IB Gateway/TWS remains external and user-managed
• This bridge solves clientId contention but does not remove IB pacing, market data, or broker-side account limits
• Released under the Apache License 2.0; see LICENSE
• Never commit IB credentials to this repository

See also:

• CHANGELOG.md
• CONTRIBUTING.md
• SECURITY.md