MATLAB: Datafeed Connect Bloomberg returns an error

bloombergdata importdatafeedDatafeed Toolbox

I get an error 'Cannot find Bloomberg license or bbapi.dll is not found on the system path' when trying to establish connection in datafeed toolbox. Few points:

I am able to download the data using getdata history functions
I have C:\blp\API on my system path(check environment variables) and I do have that file in that folder
Bloomberg DEMO API works
The Bloomberg API (Bloomberg access software) is installed on this machine

Please help if you can 🙂

Many thanks,

Alexey

Best Answer

Just to double check, type "path" into the command window and make sure "C:\blp\API" is listed there. Also make sure the "bits" of your OS and MATLAB (32 or 64) match the "bits" of the DLL. And of course, you forgot to include your code so you're making it hard for us to help you by forcing us to guess and work "blind".

Related Solutions

MATLAB: Do I receive an error when I try to connect to the Bloomberg database using the BLOOMBERG function

The documentation has been updated in Release 2008a (R2008a). For previous product releases, read below:

You may encounter this error if the 'bbapi.dll' file is not found on the system path or if 'bbcomm.exe' is not running.

1. You can verify if the Bloomberg API is working by going to the 'Windows Start' menu and choosing "Bloomberg -> API Demo".    
2. You will need to verify that 'bbapi.dll' is on your Windows system path ( system environment variable - PATH) to work with MATLAB. To check this, visit the following support article from Microsoft. 
 <http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310519>

Another possibility is that the user is not using the right syntax. The two input form is no longer supported by Bloomberg. So to connect, you can try:

>> c = bloomberg

Alternatively:

The Bloomberg software is updated regularly and only the most recent version of the Datafeed Toolbox may contain the correct library interface to connect with the Bloomberg API.

The only workaround is to update the version of MATLAB which is being used.

Also, this error may occur because too many connections to the Bloomberg data server have already been established. This may be the result of calling the command

c = bloomberg;

in a FOR-loop. In this case, you should either close the bloomberg connection:

close(c);

before the next iteration or, ideally, open the connection outside of the FOR-loop and use only that one connection within the loop.

MATLAB: Do I get an “actxserver” error when trying to connect to Interactive Brokers Trader Workstation with the “ibtws” command

The aforementioned error indicates that the Trading Toolbox in MATLAB cannot establish a connection to the IB Trader Workstation ActiveX-based API. This can result when:

the ActiveX APIs is not enabled within the installation of the IB Trader Workstation,
the input port number does not match the one used by TWS, or
if you are running an incompatible version of MATLAB or Trader Workstation.

As of MATLAB R2014a, both 32-Bit and 64-Bit MATLAB work with the IB Trader Workstation. In addition, please note that the Interactive Brokers functionality in Trading Toolbox requires a licensed account for IB Trader Workstation.

First, please ensure that you have the latest version of TWS and the IB Trader Workstation API (both linked below) and that you have a licensed account for IB Trader Workstation:

TWS

https://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/index.php?f=14099#tws-software

Interactive Brokers API

http://interactivebrokers.github.io/#

Then, we can verify the TWS API configurations as follows:

In the API settings (within Trader Workstation Configuration) please make sure that "Enable ActiveX and Socket Clients" is checked, and "Read-Ony API" is unchecked. You can access the API settings by navigating to 'File > Global Configuration > API > Settings' on the main window of TWS.
In addition, please check that the Socket port number in the "ibtws" command is identical to one in the API settings.

If this does not resolve the issue, please verify whether you can use the COM interface outside of MATLAB (i.e. Visual Basic script):

Open a new EXCEL file
Enter 'ALT + F11' to open Visual Basic (VB) Editor
Locate the "Project - VBAProject" block the top left corner in the popped out window
Right click on your workbook name (e.g. Sheet1)
Select 'Insert > Module'

Paste the VB script below to the module:

Sub IBconnect()
Dim ibtws As Object
Set ibtws = CreateObject("TWS.TwsCtrl")
MsgBox ("success")
End Sub

Enter 'Crtl + S' to save the VB script. Select "Excel Macro-Enabled Workbook" from the "Save as type" drop-down list and click the "Save" button.
Run the VB script by clicking the green arrow button
\n
If the output from running the script is not "success" then likely there is something broken with the IB Trader API installation. It would be best to contact the IB support since the VB script is checking connection outside of MATLAB and the resulting error is not caused due to MATLAB.

\n
Additionally, I would suggest to first (before reaching out to IB) try the suggestions in the MATLAB Answers post linked below as other users came across the same issue and have gotten next steps from IB:
https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/111625-trading-toolbox-connecting-to-interactive-broker
The BaT file provided by IB helps establish connection with Excel using DDE connection and not ActiveX API connection which is used by MATLAB.
In order to instantiate the connection between IB and MATLAB, the system needs to recognize the ActiveX API program ID 'TWS.TwsCtrl'.
If the VB script won't run it's likely because it can't find the Trader Workstation program ID. This indicates that there is something going wrong with the IB installation files. If this is the case, I would recommend contacting the IB Support for help troubleshooting the IB installation files.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

MATLAB: Do I receive an error when I try to connect to the Bloomberg database using the BLOOMBERG function

MATLAB: Do I get an “actxserver” error when trying to connect to Interactive Brokers Trader Workstation with the “ibtws” command

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