LEARN THE DESK / SETTINGS
Connect Alpaca and understand market-data coverage
Learn the difference between generated replay samples and Alpaca data, and estimate how much history a model needs.
Know which data you are looking at
Without credentials, TickSPY loads bundled replay files; the current samples are generated and labelled as such. Connecting your own Alpaca keys enables the account’s market-data access. The desk requests the IEX feed, which covers one exchange rather than the entire US market. Paper trading access does not make a sample dataset real.
Try it with your own numbers
Local calculation only. These inputs are illustrative, not live quotes. Nothing you enter is uploaded.
Worked example
Market Structure needs at least 77 completed candles. At 5 minutes each, that is 385 trading minutes. At 15 minutes each, it is 1,155 trading minutes—almost three full 390-minute sessions, if all bars are present.
The calculation
Trading minutes = completed bars × interval minutes. Full-session equivalent = trading minutes / 390.Method and references
Alpaca: data access and feed coverageExercises use the values you enter, not a hidden market feed. Examples demonstrate mechanics; they are not evidence of profitability. Reviewed October 11, 2026.
What this cannot tell you
Calendar time is longer because of nights, weekends and holidays. Missing IEX bars can require more history. Keys stay in browser storage and are sent to Alpaca; do not paste them into feedback forms or screenshots.