Quick Start

🚀 Quick Start

Follow these steps to set up Signal.Engine, configure your environment, and execute your first autonomous market scan.

1. Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following installed:

• Python 3.9+
• Node.js & npm (for the visual dashboard)
• Alpaca Paper Trading Account (for API keys)

2. Installation

Clone the repository and install both backend and frontend dependencies.

Backend Setup:

git clone https://github.com/Junni007/AI-Trading-Agent.git
cd AI-Trading-Agent
pip install -r requirements.txt

Frontend Setup:

cd frontend
npm install
cd ..

3. Environment Configuration

Create a .env file in the root directory to store your Alpaca credentials. This allows the agent to fetch live data and simulate trades.

# Alpaca API Credentials
APCA_API_KEY_ID="your_paper_key_here"
APCA_API_SECRET_KEY="your_paper_secret_here"
APCA_API_BASE_URL="https://paper-api.alpaca.markets"

4. Launch the System

Signal.Engine consists of a Brain (API) and an Observatory (UI).

Step A: Start the Backend API

The backend initializes the Hybrid Brain (LSTM + PPO) and the Simulation Engine.

# From the project root
python -m src.api.main

• API URL: http://localhost:8000
• Key Endpoint: /api/scan (Triggers the agent to analyze the market)

Step B: Start the Dashboard

In a new terminal, launch the React-based visualizer to monitor signals in real-time.

cd frontend
npm run dev

• Dashboard URL: http://localhost:5173 (or the port provided by Vite)

5. Execute Trading Commands

You can also run the agent via the command line for specific symbols without the full UI.

Dry Run (Inference Only): Verify the model logic and data fetching for a specific ticker without placing orders.

python -m src.trader_alpaca --symbol RELIANCE.NS --qty 1

Live Paper Trading: Enable the --live flag to allow the agent to execute Buy/Sell/Hold orders autonomously on your Alpaca paper account.

python -m src.trader_alpaca --symbol RELIANCE.NS --qty 1 --live

🛠 Troubleshooting Common Issues

| Issue | Solution | | :--- | :--- | | Model weights missing | Ensure best_ppo.ckpt exists in /checkpoints and final_sft_model.pth is in /checkpoints_sft. | | Alpaca 403 Forbidden | Double-check your .env keys and ensure you are using the paper-api URL for testing. | | CORS Errors | If the frontend cannot reach the API, ensure the FastAPI server is running on localhost:8000. | | Nifty 500 Data | The system defaults to Indian markets. For S&P 500, update the ticker utility settings in src/ticker_utils.py. |