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Nexus EA Setup Guide

Welcome to the Nexus EA setup guide. This page provides an overview of the main features and settings. A comprehensive PDF guide with detailed instructions is included with your subscription.

1. Installation

  1. Download the XAUUSD_Nexus_EA.ex4 file from your download area
  2. Copy the file to your MT4 folder: C:\Program Files\MetaTrader 4\MQL4\Experts\
  3. Restart MetaTrader 4 or right-click on Navigator → Refresh
  4. Drag the EA onto any XAUUSD chart
  5. Enable AutoTrading (green button in toolbar)

Important: WebRequest Permission

Before using the EA, you must allow WebRequest for these URLs in MT4:

  1. Go to Tools → Options → Expert Advisors
  2. Check "Allow WebRequest for listed URL"
  3. Add: https://assotechnologies.com (license verification)
  4. Add: https://api.deepseek.com (AI analysis, required if AI is enabled)
  5. Add: https://www.fxstreet.com (live news feed, required if EnableRSS_FXStreet is true)

Note: If FXStreet is not whitelisted, the EA will silently skip news context with no error shown, but the AI will have no market headlines. All three URLs are recommended.

Running MT4 24/7: VPS Recommended

Nexus EA must run continuously, including overnight and during the weekly rollover window. If your PC is turned off, the EA stops. Any open grid positions remain on your broker with no automated protection or management.

For reliable operation we strongly recommend running MT4 on a Windows VPS (Virtual Private Server) rather than your personal PC. A VPS stays online 24/7 regardless of your computer. Entry-level VPS plans from providers such as Contabo, Vultr, or ForexVPS start at £5–£15/month and are sufficient for MT4.

If you cannot use a VPS, ensure your PC's power settings prevent sleep/hibernate, and that your internet connection is stable.

2. License Settings

Enter your license details to activate the EA:

ParameterDescriptionDefault
LicenseKeyYour license key (format: NEXUS-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX)Empty
LicenseServerURLLicense verification serverhttps://assotechnologies.com
EnableLicenseCheckEnable online license verificationtrue
LicenseCheckIntervalHoursHours between license checks4

3. DeepSeek AI Configuration

AI Requires Your Own API Key

Nexus EA uses DeepSeek AI for market analysis. We do not provide an API key - you must create your own account at platform.deepseek.com.

Estimated cost: ~$5–15/month based on typical usage (DeepSeek V3 pricing).

How to Get Your DeepSeek API Key:

  1. Visit platform.deepseek.com
  2. Create an account and add credits ($5-10 to start)
  3. Go to API Keys section and create a new key
  4. Copy the key and paste it in the EA settings
ParameterDescriptionDefault
DeepSeekAPIKeyYour DeepSeek API keyEmpty
DeepSeekModelAI model to usedeepseek-chat
EnableAIEnable AI-powered analysistrue
MinAIConfidenceMinimum confidence to trade (70-100%)70
AICheckIntervalMinutesMinutes between AI analysis2

Running Without AI

If you prefer not to use AI, set EnableAI = false. The EA will use technical analysis only. However, AI significantly improves decision quality and is recommended.

4. Risk Management Settings

These settings control your risk exposure and compliance with your prop firm or broker rules:

ParameterDescriptionDefault
InitialLotSizeStarting lot size for grid0.01
MaxGridOrdersMaximum grid levels (VARIANTE C: 6)6
MaxDailyLossPercentDaily loss limit (prop firm rules typically 4–5%)4.5%
InitialProtectiveSL_PipsInitial stop loss distance1000
BreakevenTrigger_PipsProfit to activate breakeven15
TrailingDistance_PipsTrailing stop distance10

Scaling Lot Size to Your Account

The default InitialLotSize = 0.01 is suitable for small or demo accounts. For funded or live accounts, scale it proportionally to your balance. A conservative starting point is 0.01 lot per $1,000 of account balance:

Account SizeSuggested InitialLotSizeMaxDailyLossPercent
$5,0000.01 – 0.024.5%
$10,0000.02 – 0.054.5%
$25,0000.05 – 0.104.5%
$50,0000.05 – 0.104.5%
$100,0000.05 – 0.104.5%

Note for Large Accounts

For accounts above $25,000, do not scale lots linearly. The grid's maximum floating loss grows quickly. Instead, keep lot sizes conservative and rely on the kill switch (MaxGridLossUSD) to cap absolute drawdown. The PDF guide contains worked examples for $25k–$100k accounts.

5. News Calendar Setup

The News Filter protects your account from trading during high-impact news events. Most prop firms (FTMO, Apex, MyFundedFX and others) restrict trading around these events, and even on live accounts, high-impact news causes extreme volatility that the EA is designed to avoid. You must configure the news calendar file for this to work.

Step 1: Download the News Calendar Template

Download the News_Calendar_Template.csv file from your Download Area.

Step 2: Place the File

Copy the file to your MT4 data folder:

  1. In MT4, go to File → Open Data Folder
  2. Navigate to MQL4\Files\
  3. Paste the News_Calendar_Template.csv file here

Step 3: Understanding the Format

The file uses CSV format with 4 columns:

ColumnFormatExample
DateYYYY-MM-DD2026-02-06
TimeHH:MM (GMT timezone)13:30
EventEvent nameNFP Unemployment Rate Wages
ImpactHIGH onlyHIGH

Step 4: High-Impact Events to Block

These 5 events consistently trigger trading restrictions across all major prop firms (FTMO, Apex, MyFundedFX and others) for XAUUSD, and cause extreme volatility on live accounts too:

  • Federal Funds Rate & Statement - 8x per year at 19:00 GMT
  • Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP) - First Friday of each month at 13:30 GMT
  • CPI y/y - Usually mid-month at 13:30 GMT
  • FOMC Meeting Minutes - 3 weeks after FOMC decision at 19:00 GMT
  • Advance GDP q/q - Quarterly releases at 13:30 GMT

Finding Upcoming News Dates

The most reliable source is Forex Factory Calendar and filter by "High Impact" and USD events. You can also check your prop firm's own calendar (e.g. ftmo.com/en/calendar for FTMO). Update the file every 1–2 weeks.

Step 5: How the EA Uses News Data

The EA creates a safety buffer around each news event:

  • 40 minutes before: EA enters WIND_DOWN (no new grids)
  • 10 minutes before: EA enters EMBARGO (no trading)
  • 30 minutes after: EA resumes normal trading

Prop Firm Rule Reminder

Most prop firms (FTMO, Apex, MyFundedFX and others) restrict trading 2 minutes before until 2 minutes after high-impact events. Our 40+30 minute buffer gives maximum protection against accidental violations. If you trade a live account, the buffer still protects you from extreme volatility spikes.

News Filter Parameters

ParameterDescriptionDefault
EnableNewsFilterEnable news event protectiontrue
MinutesBeforeNews_WindDownMinutes before news to stop new grids40
MinutesBeforeNews_EmbargoMinutes before news to block all trading10
MinutesAfterNews_ResumeMinutes after news to resume trading30

6. Trading Filters

Additional built-in protection systems to avoid unfavourable conditions:

ParameterDescriptionDefault
EnableCorrelationFilterCheck EUR/GBP correlationtrue
EnableMarketHoursFilterTrade only during active sessionstrue
EnableExhaustionDetectionDetect trend exhaustiontrue

7. Time & GMT Settings

The EA automatically detects your broker's GMT offset, but you can override it if needed.

All EA times are in GMT, not your local time

Every time parameter in the EA (rollover hours, force-close, block end) is interpreted as real GMT (UTC) read from your PC's system clock. It does not matter what country you are in or what timezone your broker's server uses. The EA always compares against the actual UTC time. If you customise any time parameter, enter the GMT value, not your local time.

GMT Conversion Reference

The table below shows what the three key EA default times correspond to in common timezones. Use this to understand when the EA will wind down and close positions in your local time.

Winter (November – March): UK on GMT

TimezoneWind-down (19:00 GMT)Force Close (21:45 GMT)Resume (02:00 GMT)
UK (GMT)19:0021:4502:00
Italy / Germany (CET, GMT+1)20:0022:4503:00
USA Eastern (EST, GMT−5)14:0016:4521:00 prev. day
USA Pacific (PST, GMT−8)11:0013:4518:00 prev. day
Australia Eastern (AEDT, GMT+11) ¹06:00 next day08:45 next day13:00

Summer (March – October): UK on BST (+1)

TimezoneWind-down (19:00 GMT)Force Close (21:45 GMT)Resume (02:00 GMT)
UK (BST, GMT+1)20:0022:4503:00
Italy / Germany (CEST, GMT+2)21:0023:4504:00
USA Eastern (EDT, GMT−4)15:0017:4522:00 prev. day
USA Pacific (PDT, GMT−7)12:0014:4519:00 prev. day
Australia Eastern (AEST, GMT+10) ¹05:00 next day07:45 next day12:00

¹ Australia's DST runs opposite to Europe/USA (summer = Oct–Apr). When UK is on GMT (winter), Australia is on AEDT (+11); when UK is on BST (summer), Australia is on AEST (+10).

DST Warning: Check Your Settings Twice a Year

Daylight Saving Time (DST) changes happen in late March and late October. When clocks change:

  • Your local time shifts by 1 hour relative to GMT, so the EA's actions happen 1 hour earlier or later in your local clock.
  • Your broker's server time may also shift (most EEA brokers go from GMT+2 to GMT+3 in summer). If you use BrokerGMTOffset = 0 (auto-detect), the EA handles this automatically. If you set a manual offset, update it after each DST change.

Example (Italy): In winter the EA force-closes at 21:45 GMT = 22:45 Italian time. In summer, the same 21:45 GMT = 23:45 Italian time, one hour later on your clock, but exactly the same GMT moment.

Automatic GMT Detection

By default, the EA compares your PC clock (real GMT) with the broker's server time to calculate the offset automatically. This works correctly for most brokers and is recommended.

ParameterDescriptionDefault
BrokerGMTOffset0 = AUTO-DETECT (recommended), 1–12 = manual override0

Common Broker GMT Offsets

If you need to verify or set a manual offset, use the table below. These are the broker server time offsets, not your personal timezone.

BrokerWinter (Nov–Mar)Summer (Mar–Oct)
ICMarketsGMT+2GMT+3
PepperstoneGMT+2GMT+3
Vantage MarketsGMT+2GMT+3
FP MarketsGMT+2GMT+3
Most EEA / UK regulated brokersGMT+2GMT+3
BlackBull Markets (NZ)GMT+12GMT+13

Note: Brokers based outside Europe (e.g. New Zealand, Australia) often use very different server offsets. Always verify: check your broker's terminal clock versus time.is/GMT. The difference is your broker's GMT offset.

When to Use Manual Override

Only set a manual BrokerGMTOffset if the EA's dashboard shows a GMT time that does not match time.is/GMT. In that case, calculate the difference and enter it as the offset value.

Weekend Controller

The EA automatically winds down before the weekend to avoid holding positions over market closure:

  • 19:00 GMT Friday: WIND_DOWN starts, no new grids opened
  • 21:45 GMT Friday: FORCE_CLOSE, all positions closed
  • Market reopens Sunday: Trading resumes normally

Daily Rollover Controller

Gold markets have a daily rollover period (around 22:00 GMT) with wide spreads. The EA protects against this automatically every night:

  • 19:00 GMT: WIND_DOWN, no new grids
  • 21:45 GMT: FORCE_CLOSE, all positions closed
  • 02:00 GMT next day: Trading resumes
ParameterDescriptionDefault
Rollover_WindDownHourHour (GMT) to start wind-down19
Rollover_ForceCloseHourHour (GMT) to force close21
Rollover_ForceCloseMinuteMinute to force close45
Rollover_BlockEndHourHour (GMT) to resume trading2

8. Dashboard & Logging

The on-chart dashboard shows real-time status of the EA:

Dashboard ItemWhat It Means
StatusACTIVE = trading enabled, PAUSED = waiting for conditions
License ExpiryDays remaining on your subscription
AI SentimentBULL/BEAR/NEUTRAL + confidence percentage from DeepSeek
BlockersNews/Rollover/Weekend - shows what's blocking trading
Daily P&LToday's profit/loss in currency and percentage
Max DrawdownToday's maximum drawdown reached
Open OrdersCurrent number of open positions

Logging Parameters

ParameterDescriptionDefault
ShowDashboardDisplay on-chart dashboardtrue
EnableLoggingWrite detailed logs to Experts tabtrue
LogLevelLogging detail level (INFO, DEBUG)INFO

9. Troubleshooting

EA Not Opening Trades

Check these common causes:

  1. AutoTrading disabled - Click the green "AutoTrading" button in MT4 toolbar
  2. News/Rollover/Weekend block - Check the dashboard "Blockers" section
  3. AI confidence too low - The AI may not be confident enough to trade
  4. Daily loss limit reached: EA stops trading if MaxDailyLossPercent is hit (default 4.5%)
  5. Wrong symbol - EA only works on XAUUSD (Gold) charts

License Invalid Error

  1. Verify your license key is entered correctly (format: NEXUS-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX)
  2. Check WebRequest is enabled for https://assotechnologies.com
  3. Ensure your MT4 account number is bound to your license (max 3 accounts)
  4. If you need to use a different account, unbind one from the Download Area

AI Not Responding

  1. Verify your DeepSeek API key is correct and has credits
  2. Check WebRequest is enabled for https://api.deepseek.com
  3. Check the Experts tab in MT4 for error messages
  4. If persistent issues, set EnableAI = false to use technical analysis only

High Spread Warning

If you see spread warnings, wait for normal market hours (London/NY sessions). Spreads are typically high during:

  • Daily rollover (21:00-02:00 GMT)
  • Weekend gaps
  • Low liquidity periods

Need More Help?

Contact us at support@assotechnologies.com with your MT4 logs from the Experts tab.

Complete PDF Documentation

The full PDF guide with 100+ parameter explanations, optimisation tips, and troubleshooting is included with your subscription.

Access Download Area