Trading manually is exhausting. Watching screens, waiting for conditions to align, executing orders under pressure, managing multiple positions simultaneously — all while trying not to let emotion override the plan. Experienced traders know this problem well. The strategy is sound; the execution is the weak link.
Automation fixes that. Not by replacing judgment, but by removing the execution burden and the emotional noise that comes with it. NUUN is the automation platform we built at 3S Coding to do exactly that — connecting traders to Interactive Brokers via the IB API and executing their strategies automatically, according to predefined rules.
The problem with manual trading
Manual trading has three fundamental problems that compound over time.
Speed. Markets move faster than human reaction time. A strategy that requires entering at a specific price level can fail simply because the execution was a few seconds slow. Automation enters the moment conditions are met.
Consistency. Humans get tired, distracted, and emotional. A trader who executes a strategy perfectly for six months might deviate in month seven because of stress, overconfidence, or fatigue. Automation executes identically every time.
Scale. Running multiple strategies simultaneously is nearly impossible manually. Automation handles concurrent execution across multiple instruments, accounts, and strategies without degradation.
What is NUUN?
NUUN is a desktop trading automation platform developed by 3S Coding. It connects to Interactive Brokers via their official API, reads order inputs from CSV files exported from your testing or strategy software, and executes those orders automatically based on rules you define.
It's not a black-box system. NUUN executes your strategy, according to your rules. You define when to enter, when to exit, how to manage exposure, and how to handle edge cases. NUUN handles the execution reliably and consistently, 24/7 if needed.
How it works
The workflow is straightforward. You export your order list from your strategy testing software as a CSV file. NUUN reads that file, connects to your Interactive Brokers account via the IB API, and begins monitoring market conditions.
When your defined entry conditions are met, NUUN places the order automatically — at the right price, at the right time, with the correct size. It monitors open positions against your exposure rules, handles exits when your conditions trigger, and manages the full lifecycle of each trade without requiring you to be in front of a screen.
NUUN also includes a recovery mode that restores the previous state after unexpected shutdowns, updating all activities and continuing operations from where it left off — critical for strategies that run overnight or across sessions.
Key features
- Automated order execution — Places orders based on predefined rules without manual intervention
- Real-time exposure monitoring — Tracks position sizes and notional exposure continuously
- Multi-account execution — Runs the same strategy across multiple IB accounts simultaneously
- Delayed entry — Waits a specified duration after a signal before entering
- MOC exits — Market-on-close order management for end-of-day strategies
- Limit and market exits at specified times — Time-based exit rules
- Gap open handling — Closes extra filled orders resulting from overnight gap opens
- Trade reporting — Generates reports including commissions for reconciliation
- Recovery mode — Resumes correctly after unexpected shutdowns
- ASX auction orders — Supports Australian Securities Exchange auction mechanics
Interactive Brokers & the IB API
Interactive Brokers is one of the leading electronic brokerages, offering access to stocks, options, futures, currencies, and bonds across global markets. Their IB API is a software interface that allows custom applications to connect directly to the IB platform — accessing real-time market data, placing orders, and managing positions programmatically.
The IB API supports Java, C++, Python, and .NET, which gives developers significant flexibility in how they build against it. NUUN is built on .NET, which gives it strong performance characteristics, stability, and cross-platform potential for future expansion.
Key IB API capabilities that NUUN leverages:
- Real-time streaming market data for live condition monitoring
- Order placement and modification across all asset classes IB supports
- Position and account data for exposure calculations
- Multi-account management for running across client accounts
Takeaway
Automation doesn't make a bad strategy good. But it makes a good strategy better — by executing it perfectly every time, at any hour, across as many instruments as needed, without the emotional friction that degrades manual execution over time.
NUUN was built for traders who have already done the hard work of developing and backtesting a strategy, and who want to stop worrying about whether it's being executed correctly. If that's you, the strategy is yours — we just make sure it runs.
Automation doesn't replace the trader's judgment. It just removes everything that gets in the way of executing it.
