Sunday, December 14, 2025

How I Constructed a Hybrid, ML-Powered EA for MT5 (And Why a “Black Field” Is not Sufficient) – Neural Networks – 4 November 2025


How I Constructed a Hybrid, ML-Powered EA for MQL5 (And Why a “Black Field” Is not Sufficient)

As an MQL developer, I’ve spent years constructing buying and selling robots. All of us chase the identical factor: a system that’s each clever and sturdy. We depend on technical indicators, worth motion, and sophisticated logic to seek out an edge. For a very long time, Machine Studying felt like a “holy grail,” however one which was simply out of attain or an excessive amount of of a “black field.”

My primary hesitation was this: I do not need an EA that *simply* depends on a blind prediction. The market has context. A mannequin educated on historic knowledge would possibly say “BUY,” however as a dealer, I do know that sign is nugatory if the unfold is 100 pips, volatility is zero, or a serious pattern on the next timeframe is screaming “SELL.”

So, I made a decision to construct one thing totally different: a Hybrid EA. An EA that makes use of a strong Machine Studying mannequin for its core sign however then validates that sign towards a gauntlet of confirmed, “commonsense” technical confluence filters.

Immediately, I wish to stroll you thru the precise course of I used to construct this, from a Python script to a completely practical MQL5 Skilled Advisor.

Half 1: The ML Workflow – From Information to Mannequin

You possibly can’t simply “make” an AI. It’s important to practice it. This whole a part of the method occurs exterior of MetaTrader, sometimes in Python utilizing libraries like TensorFlow (Keras) and Scikit-learn.

1. Information Preparation & Characteristic Engineering

First, I wanted knowledge. A number of it. I exported historic knowledge (Open, Excessive, Low, Shut, Tick_Volume) for my goal image. The important thing is not simply the information, however the way you body the issue. I am not attempting to foretell the *actual* subsequent worth; I am attempting to foretell a easy binary final result: “Will the following bar’s Shut be greater or decrease than the present bar’s Shut?”

I structured this as a “windowed” dataset. The mannequin would have a look at a sequence of 60 bars ( WINDOW_SIZE = 60 ) to foretell the result of the 61st bar.

2. Normalization (The Essential Step)

Neural networks do not like uncooked worth knowledge. A worth of 2300.00 is only a “huge quantity” and may trigger the mannequin’s math to blow up. We should normalize all our options, normally to a spread between 0 and 1. I used a normal `MinMaxScaler`.

That is vital: you could save the *actual* parameters (min, max, scale) used to normalize the coaching knowledge. We’ll want them inside MQL5 to arrange dwell market knowledge for the mannequin.

scaler = MinMaxScaler(feature_range=(0, 1)) X_train_scaled = scaler.fit_transform(X_train) # — Save the scaler parameters — # That is the “secret key” for our EA save_scaler_to_file(scaler, “my_scaler.pkl”)

3. Mannequin Coaching (Python/TensorFlow)

I used a easy however highly effective LSTM (Lengthy Brief-Time period Reminiscence) community. LSTMs are nice at understanding sequences, which is ideal for time-series knowledge like charts.

# ‘y_train’ is 1 if next_close > shut, else 0 mannequin = Sequential([ LSTM(units=50, input_shape=(60, 5)), # 60 bars, 5 features Dropout(0.2), Dense(units=1, activation=’sigmoid’) # Final output: 0.0 to 1.0 ]) mannequin.compile(optimizer=”adam”, loss=”binary_crossentropy”) mannequin.match(X_train_scaled, y_train, epochs=30) # Save the educated mannequin mannequin.save(“My_Gold_Model.h5”)

The `sigmoid` activation is vital. It means the mannequin’s output is not simply “BUY” or “SELL,” however a chance from 0.0 (100% probability of DOWN) to 1.0 (100% probability of UP). A worth of 0.5 is impartial.

4. Conversion to ONNX

MetaTrader 5 cannot run TensorFlow fashions instantly. It runs fashions within the ONNX (Open Neural Community Trade) format. It is a easy conversion step utilizing a Python library.

# This one-liner converts our Keras mannequin to ONNX !python -m tf2onnx.convert –keras My_Gold_Model.h5 –output My_Gold_Model.onnx

Now I’ve two important information: My_Gold_Model.onnx and the scaler parameters (which I exported to a easy CSV file).

Half 2: The MQL5 Integration – Constructing the Hybrid EA

That is the place the magic occurs. We deliver our educated mannequin into MQL5.

1. Loading the Mannequin and Scaler

I embed each the `.onnx` file and the scaler knowledge instantly into the EA’s code utilizing #useful resource . In OnInit() , the EA masses the mannequin into reminiscence and parses the scaler values into a world array.

    

#useful resource "RecordsdataMLModelsMy_Gold_Model.onnx" as const uchar Model_M5[]
#embrace 

lengthy g_modelHandle = INVALID_HANDLE;
double g_scalerMin[5]; // open, excessive, low, shut, quantity
double g_scalerScale[5];

int OnInit()
{
    // ... load scaler values from useful resource into g_scalerMin/g_scalerScale ...
    
    // Load the ONNX mannequin from the useful resource buffer
    g_modelHandle = OnnxCreateFromBuffer(Model_M5, ONNX_DEFAULT);
    if(g_modelHandle == INVALID_HANDLE)
    {
        Print("Did not load ONNX mannequin!");
        return(INIT_FAILED);
    }
    return(INIT_SUCCEEDED);
}

2. The Prediction Loop (OnTick)

On each tick (or new bar), the EA does the *very same course of* as our Python script:

  1. Will get the final 60 bars of knowledge.
  2. Normalizes this knowledge utilizing our saved g_scalerMin and g_scalerScale values.
  3. Passes the 60×5 normalized matrix to the ONNX mannequin.
  4. Will get a single float worth again (our chance).

void OnTick() { // 1. Get final 60 bars MqlRates charges[]; CopyRates(_Symbol, _Period, 0, 60, charges); // 2. Normalize knowledge matrixf input_data(60, 5); for(int i=0; i<60; i++) { input_data[i][0] = (float)((charges[i].open – g_scalerMin[0]) * g_scalerScale[0]); input_data[i][1] = (float)((charges[i].excessive – g_scalerMin[1]) * g_scalerScale[1]); // … and so forth for low, shut, quantity … } // 3. Run prediction vectorf output_data(1); if(!OnnxRun(g_modelHandle, 0, input_data, output_data)) { Print(“OnnxRun failed!”); return; } // 4. Interpret end result double probability_of_up = output_data[0]; // Now… what to do with this? ProcessSignal(probability_of_up); }

Half 3: The “Secret Sauce” – My Confluence Filter

That is what separates a “toy” from an expert software. I do not commerce if probability_of_up > 0.5 . That is a rookie mistake.

As an alternative, I take advantage of the mannequin’s output as my major sign, which should then be confirmed by my confluence filter. This filter, impressed by my different EAs, is designed to reply one query: “Is that this a secure and logical time to commerce?”

Earlier than my new EA locations any commerce, it checks all of this:

  • Unfold Examine: Is the present unfold under my InpMaxSpreadPips ? If not, no commerce.
  • Threshold Examine: Is the chance sign robust sufficient? (e.g., > 0.55 or < 0.45, primarily based on InpMinPredictionDiff ).
  • Multi-Timeframe EMA: Does the ML sign align with the EMA pattern on the present, earlier, AND subsequent timeframes?
  • RSI Affirmation: Is RSI above 55 for a purchase or under 45 for a promote?
  • MACD Affirmation: Is the MACD line on the proper aspect of the sign line?
  • Volatility Filter: Is the market transferring? We examine if ATR is inside a minimal and most pip vary.
  • Pattern Energy: Is the ADX worth above 20, confirming a pattern is even current?

Provided that the ML sign is robust AND the market context is logical does the commerce get positioned.

Pre-Launch Announcement: Ratio X Gold ML (ONNX)

This hybrid philosophy is the core of my brand-new Skilled Advisor, the Ratio X Gold ML (ONNX), which I’ve simply completed creating.

It combines all the pieces I’ve mentioned above into one highly effective, professional-grade bundle. It is not only a blind predictor; it is an clever buying and selling assistant that fuses next-generation ML predictions with time-tested technical evaluation.

The important thing options embrace:

  • Pre-Educated ONNX Fashions: Onerous-coded fashions for M1, M5, M15, M30, H1, and H4, so you’ll be able to commerce on any of those timeframes immediately.
  • Full Confluence Filter: The precise multi-timeframe filter I described (EMA, RSI, MACD, ATR, ADX, Unfold) to make sure high-quality entries.
  • Full Threat Administration Suite:
    • Fastened Lot or Threat-Proportion Autolot sizing.
    • ATR-based or Fastened Pips for Cease Loss and Take Revenue.
    • Day by day Revenue and Loss Targets (as % of steadiness).
    • Buying and selling Time Filter.
    • Breakeven and multi-function Trailing Cease logic.
    • A sensible Margin Examine that auto-adjusts lot measurement if margin is low.

Find out how to Get Early Entry

I’m doing a particular, quiet pre-release of this EA for my MQL5 group buddies earlier than the official launch.

If you’re on this hybrid buying and selling method and wish to be one of many first to make use of the Ratio X Gold ML, here is what to do:

1. Add me as a Good friend on MQL5.

2. Control my MQL5 wall.

I will likely be posting it on my wall first with a particular introductory worth solely for many who are following me. That is my most superior EA so far, and I am excited to share it with a severe group of merchants first.

Thanks for studying, and I hope this provides you some new concepts in your personal growth!

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