Data source selector: Rithmic, bridges, Binance, Databento

The chart data source selector in the Connection Manager chooses which feed drives the footprint, heatmap and DOM: Rithmic direct, a NinjaTrader or Quantower bridge, Binance Spot or Perp, or Databento CME.

Senzoukria · Documentation · Updated September 2026

Where to find it

Where
Connection Manager → “Chart data source” (tag: footprint · heatmap · DOM)
Default
Rithmic direct
Windows only
NinjaTrader and Quantower bridges
Per pane
In the chart workspace, each pane also has its own “Source of the selected chart” selector

What it does

The selector is a row of buttons under “Chart data source” in the Connection Manager. It writes one preference (orderflow.dataSource) that the footprint, the heatmap, the navigation bar and the pop-out windows all read. Changing it fires an application event, so every open surface switches at once and the first pane of the active workspace page adopts the new source with an empty symbol. In the chart workspace each pane can additionally override the source with the “Source of the selected chart” selector.

Six values exist. Rithmic direct connects to your futures broker account through Rithmic; the hint reads “Broker connection (no bridge needed)”. NinjaTrader and Quantower are local bridges: the hint says the NT8 chart or Quantower must be running. Both are Windows platforms, so the two buttons are only compiled into the Windows build, and a saved bridge preference on macOS or Linux is coerced back to Rithmic. Binance Spot and Binance Perp are public WebSocket feeds that need no account, credentials or data subscription. Databento CME serves the same CME contracts on your own Databento API key; it is market data only, no orders pass through it.

Settings

Buttons of the “Chart data source” section and the hint shown under the active one
SourceHint shownWhat it needs
Rithmic directBroker connection (no bridge needed)A Rithmic login with a market-data entitlement on the chosen plant. Paper and live plants are separate; a free trial login is not enough for the feed.
NinjaTraderLocal bridge — NT8 chart must be runningWindows, NinjaTrader 8 with the Senzoukria bridge on a running chart.
QuantowerLocal bridge — Quantower must be runningWindows, Quantower with the Senzoukria bridge connected.
Binance SpotBinance Spot public feed — no account, no credentials, no data subscription.An internet connection. Analysis only: no orders are ever sent to Binance.
Binance PerpBinance USD-M perpetuals public feed — where the volume and the aggression live.Same as Binance Spot, on the USD-M perpetual market.
Databento CMEDatabento Live — CME futures on your own API key (live licence required). Market data only, no orders.A Databento account with a live licence for the CME dataset; usage is billed by Databento.

How to use it

Open the Connection Manager, click the source you want and read the hint under the buttons. Then open the Footprint page: the chart component for that source mounts (Rithmic, bridge, Quantower, or the crypto/Databento chart) with the last symbol used on it. For Binance the default symbol is BTCUSDT; for Databento CME it is the current front-month MNQ contract, computed from the expiry calendar rather than hard-coded. The guided tour describes the same choice in two steps, “Rithmic — CME futures” and “NinjaTrader and Quantower bridges”.

The bridge and Quantower charts show a switch back to Rithmic when their bridge is not reachable; in a workspace pane that switch updates the pane’s source instead of the global preference.

Limits or pitfalls

  • Market data is billed by its provider (Rithmic entitlement, Databento usage); the selector does not include any data.
  • Binance sources are analysis only. Order tickets, autopilot and copy trading are not available on crypto feeds.
  • Bridges send bars already sliced by the platform; count bars (T/V/R/D) and some history features are not available on them.
  • A pane’s own source overrides the global preference: check the pane selector if a chart does not follow the Connection Manager.
  • Switching source clears the pane symbol, so you must pick a symbol again in the new catalog.

This page in other languages

Frequently asked questions

Why don’t I see the NinjaTrader and Quantower buttons?
They are only present in the Windows build, because both platforms and their bridges are Windows software. On macOS and Linux a saved bridge preference falls back to Rithmic direct.
Can I trade from a Binance chart?
No. Binance Spot and Perp are public feeds used for analysis. Senzoukria never sends orders to Binance.
Does Databento replace Rithmic?
It replaces the market-data side only: the same CME contracts on your Databento key, with a live licence required. Orders still go through a broker connection.

Keep reading

Strategy researchTest a trading strategy, from observation to challenge rulesDefine an observation, question it with the copilot, write a rule and explore costs, drawdown and fictional challenge limits in an interactive example.Quant · Start hereQuant trading for beginners: from idea to backtestDefine a testable rule, choose suitable data and evaluate later periods after costs.Order flow · HubOrder flow trading: the complete guideThe hub. What order flow is, what it shows — aggression, delta, imbalance, absorption, liquidity — and the tools that read it, each linked to a full guide.