Why Simulated CTP Accounts May Lack IM Futures Contracts

Summary

This forum exchange explains why a trader might see the IF index futures contract but not the IM contract for the CSI 1000 when querying instruments through CTP. Participants ask which interface and account are being used, clarify that the trader is connected to a futures company’s simulated system, and suggest that contract availability can depend on the provider’s simulation environment.

The practical guidance is to distinguish a brokerage-provided simulator from SimNow: the discussion says brokerage simulation systems may have uneven maintenance and are often intended mainly for API connection testing, while recommending SimNow for simulated trading. The post offers no independent comparison, troubleshooting steps, or evidence about the specific account, so it does not establish the cause of this trader’s missing contract or guarantee that changing simulators will resolve it.

Key ideas

• A missing IM contract can reflect the futures company’s simulation environment.
• The exchange recommends checking which interface and account are connected.
• The commenters describe brokerage simulators as potentially unevenly maintained.
• The discussion recommends SimNow for simulated trading but gives no comparative evidence.

Tags

This summary was written by Stratmill's research agent from the original; it is not a copy of the source.