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YTG ADX Level Cross Strategy

This strategy ports Yuriy Tokman's _ADX.mq5 expert advisor to the StockSharp high-level API. It monitors the Average Directional Index and reacts when the +DI or -DI components surge through configurable thresholds. Orders are opened only once at a time, mirroring the original MQL logic, and protective stop-loss and take-profit levels expressed in price points are applied automatically.

Overview

  • Market regime: Works on trending or strongly directional moves where DI spikes accompany breakouts.
  • Direction: Opens either long or short positions, but never both simultaneously.
  • Timeframe: Controlled by the CandleType parameter (default 1-hour candles).
  • Data: Uses finished candles to calculate ADX/DI values from the AverageDirectionalIndex indicator.

Trading Logic

  1. Subscribe to the selected candle series and build the ADX indicator with the configured AdxPeriod.
  2. For each finished candle, collect the +DI and -DI values and keep only the amount of history required by the Shift parameter. A Shift of 1, identical to the MQL default, evaluates the previous closed candle.
  3. Long entry: Triggered when the shifted +DI value rises above LevelPlus while its previous value was below the same threshold. The strategy checks that no position is currently open before buying at market.
  4. Short entry: Triggered when the shifted -DI value rises above LevelMinus while its previous value was below that level. A market sell is sent only if there is no active position.
  5. Exits are handled exclusively by protective orders launched through StartProtection: a fixed take-profit and stop-loss measured in price points, equivalent to TP and SL from the original code.

This implementation intentionally avoids averaging into positions, reentries while trades are active, or additional filters, matching the lightweight behaviour of the source EA.

Parameters

Parameter Default Description
CandleType 1-hour time frame Time frame of the candle subscription used for ADX calculation.
AdxPeriod 28 Length of the Average Directional Index and its DI calculations.
LevelPlus 5 Threshold that the +DI series must exceed to open a long position.
LevelMinus 5 Threshold that the -DI series must exceed to open a short position.
Shift 1 Number of closed candles to look back when evaluating the DI crossing (1 = previous candle).
TakeProfitPoints 500 Distance in price points for the take-profit order. Multiplied by the instrument's tick size internally.
StopLossPoints 500 Distance in price points for the protective stop-loss order.
TradeVolume 0.1 Base volume for new market orders, matching the Lots setting in the MQL expert.

Risk Management

  • StartProtection converts the point-based take-profit and stop-loss values into absolute price distances using the instrument's PriceStep.
  • No trailing stop or breakeven logic is applied; exits occur solely through the configured protective orders.

Notes and Tips

  • Extremely low DI thresholds may lead to frequent whipsaw trades, while higher levels wait for stronger directional bursts.
  • The Shift parameter can be increased when you need confirmation from earlier candles, for example on higher time frames to filter intrabar noise.
  • Because the strategy trades only one position at a time, manual interference or external trades on the same account should be avoided to prevent conflicts with the internal position tracking.
using System;
using System.Linq;
using System.Collections.Generic;

using Ecng.Common;
using Ecng.Collections;
using Ecng.Serialization;

using StockSharp.Algo.Indicators;
using StockSharp.Algo.Strategies;
using StockSharp.BusinessEntities;
using StockSharp.Messages;

namespace StockSharp.Samples.Strategies;

/// <summary>
/// Reimplementation of the YTG ADX threshold breakout expert using high level StockSharp API.
/// The strategy waits for the +DI or -DI line to break above configurable levels and opens
/// a position in the corresponding direction with protective stop-loss and take-profit.
/// </summary>
public class YtgAdxLevelCrossStrategy : Strategy
{
	private readonly StrategyParam<int> _adxPeriod;
	private readonly StrategyParam<int> _levelPlus;
	private readonly StrategyParam<int> _levelMinus;
	private readonly StrategyParam<int> _shift;
	private readonly StrategyParam<decimal> _takeProfitPoints;
	private readonly StrategyParam<decimal> _stopLossPoints;
	private readonly StrategyParam<decimal> _tradeVolume;
	private readonly StrategyParam<DataType> _candleType;

	private AverageDirectionalIndex _adx;

	private readonly List<decimal> _plusDiHistory = [];
	private readonly List<decimal> _minusDiHistory = [];

	public int AdxPeriod
	{
		get => _adxPeriod.Value;
		set => _adxPeriod.Value = value;
	}

	public int LevelPlus
	{
		get => _levelPlus.Value;
		set => _levelPlus.Value = value;
	}

	public int LevelMinus
	{
		get => _levelMinus.Value;
		set => _levelMinus.Value = value;
	}

	public int Shift
	{
		get => _shift.Value;
		set => _shift.Value = value;
	}

	public decimal TakeProfitPoints
	{
		get => _takeProfitPoints.Value;
		set => _takeProfitPoints.Value = value;
	}

	public decimal StopLossPoints
	{
		get => _stopLossPoints.Value;
		set => _stopLossPoints.Value = value;
	}

	public decimal TradeVolume
	{
		get => _tradeVolume.Value;
		set => _tradeVolume.Value = value;
	}

	public DataType CandleType
	{
		get => _candleType.Value;
		set => _candleType.Value = value;
	}

	public YtgAdxLevelCrossStrategy()
	{
		_adxPeriod = Param(nameof(AdxPeriod), 14)
			.SetGreaterThanZero()
			.SetDisplay("ADX Period", "Period for the Average Directional Index", "Indicators")
			
			.SetOptimize(10, 40, 2);

		_levelPlus = Param(nameof(LevelPlus), 15)
			.SetNotNegative()
			.SetDisplay("+DI Level", "Threshold that the +DI line must break", "Signals")
			
			.SetOptimize(5, 40, 5);

		_levelMinus = Param(nameof(LevelMinus), 15)
			.SetNotNegative()
			.SetDisplay("-DI Level", "Threshold that the -DI line must break", "Signals")
			
			.SetOptimize(5, 40, 5);

		_shift = Param(nameof(Shift), 1)
			.SetNotNegative()
			.SetDisplay("Signal Shift", "Number of closed candles to look back", "Signals")
			
			.SetOptimize(0, 3, 1);

		_takeProfitPoints = Param(nameof(TakeProfitPoints), 500m)
			.SetNotNegative()
			.SetDisplay("Take Profit (points)", "Distance to take profit in price points", "Risk");

		_stopLossPoints = Param(nameof(StopLossPoints), 500m)
			.SetNotNegative()
			.SetDisplay("Stop Loss (points)", "Distance to stop loss in price points", "Risk");

		_tradeVolume = Param(nameof(TradeVolume), 0.1m)
			.SetGreaterThanZero()
			.SetDisplay("Trade Volume", "Base volume for market orders", "Orders");

		_candleType = Param(nameof(CandleType), TimeSpan.FromHours(1).TimeFrame())
			.SetDisplay("Candle Type", "Primary timeframe for the strategy", "General");
	}

	public override IEnumerable<(Security sec, DataType dt)> GetWorkingSecurities()
	{
		return [(Security, CandleType)];
	}

	protected override void OnReseted()
	{
		base.OnReseted();

		_plusDiHistory.Clear();
		_minusDiHistory.Clear();
	}

	protected override void OnStarted2(DateTime time)
	{
		base.OnStarted2(time);

		Volume = TradeVolume;

		_adx = new AverageDirectionalIndex
		{
			Length = AdxPeriod
		};

		var subscription = SubscribeCandles(CandleType);
		subscription
			.Bind(ProcessCandle)
			.Start();

		var step = Security.PriceStep ?? 1m;
		Unit takeProfit = null;
		Unit stopLoss = null;

		if (TakeProfitPoints > 0)
			takeProfit = new Unit(TakeProfitPoints * step, UnitTypes.Absolute);

		if (StopLossPoints > 0)
			stopLoss = new Unit(StopLossPoints * step, UnitTypes.Absolute);

		if (takeProfit != null || stopLoss != null)
		{
			StartProtection(takeProfit: takeProfit, stopLoss: stopLoss);
		}
	}

	private void ProcessCandle(ICandleMessage candle)
	{
		if (candle.State != CandleStates.Finished)
			return;

		var adxValue = _adx.Process(candle);

		if (!_adx.IsFormed || !adxValue.IsFinal)
			return;

		if (adxValue is not AverageDirectionalIndexValue typed)
			return;

		if (typed.Dx.Plus is not decimal plusDi || typed.Dx.Minus is not decimal minusDi)
			return;

		UpdateHistory(_plusDiHistory, plusDi);
		UpdateHistory(_minusDiHistory, minusDi);

		var currentShift = Shift;
		var minCount = currentShift + 2;

		if (_plusDiHistory.Count < minCount || _minusDiHistory.Count < minCount)
			return;

		var currentIndex = _plusDiHistory.Count - 1 - currentShift;
		var previousIndex = currentIndex - 1;

		if (previousIndex < 0)
			return;

		var shiftedPlus = _plusDiHistory[currentIndex];
		var shiftedPlusPrev = _plusDiHistory[previousIndex];
		var shiftedMinus = _minusDiHistory[currentIndex];
		var shiftedMinusPrev = _minusDiHistory[previousIndex];

		var longSignal = shiftedPlus > LevelPlus && shiftedPlusPrev < LevelPlus;
		var shortSignal = shiftedMinus > LevelMinus && shiftedMinusPrev < LevelMinus;

		if (Position == 0)
		{
			if (longSignal)
			{
				// Enter a long position when +DI breaks above the configured level.
				BuyMarket();
			}
			else if (shortSignal)
			{
				// Enter a short position when -DI breaks above the configured level.
				SellMarket();
			}
		}
	}

	private void UpdateHistory(List<decimal> history, decimal value)
	{
		history.Add(value);

		var maxLength = Shift + 2;

		while (history.Count > maxLength)
		{
			// Keep only the amount of history required for the configured shift.
			history.RemoveAt(0);
		}
	}
}