Tester: exchange rate cannot be calculated

[james]

I'm using MT4 build 451 together with Tick Data Suite Loader to do back testing.

I'm consistently getting the following error message in journal, although the EA seems to run:

"Tester: exchange rate cannot be calculated"

I've read elsewhere that this occurs if you don't use the correct currency on your account, but I'm finding this occurs over all currencies.

I've tried to use MT4 build 416, but that complains that the EA is corrupt, which it isn't.

Just wondered
1 - if anyone could shed any light on this
2 - does it matter for back testing, or can the message be ignored?

[fxDreema]

This error probably happens if you try to backtest currency other than the current one. MetaTrader 4 can only backtest one currency at a time. But if this is not the case, can you tell that the problem is somehow as a result of using the Tick Data Suite? Can this EA run properly on normal MT4 with normal history data?

I think that this error message comes from MarketInfo() function, which is used to get important data from the used pair, such as Ask, Bid, Point, Digits and Spread. This cannot be ignored.

[james]

Thanks for the very quick reply, fxDreema.

I was using downloaded tick data from Dukascopy, and transforming it into MT4 history files using the excellent Tick Data Suite.

After I'd done some more research on this problem I decided re-install everything, and also give another broker a go. The first broker confusingly called its pairs GBPJPYSB (spread bet), whereas the second used the normal GBPJPY (even for spread bet). The tests seemed to work fine with the first broker (99%, etc) apart from the "Tester: exchange rate cannot be calculated" error at the start.

The key, therefore is the name of the pair. If the name of the history files don't exactly match the pair name the broker gives them (in my case GBPJPYSB instead of GBPJPY), then this error occurs.

Birt (of Birt's eareveiw.net - home of Tick Data Suite) said: "Just for future reference, FXT files created while connected to a broker that uses a suffix for the currency pair names will not work properly on brokers that do not use a suffix and vice-versa. In case you have to perform such a switch, you either have to recreate the FXT using the new broker or you have to hexedit the FXT and remove the suffix (or add it)."

Hopefully this information will assist someone else in the future who stumbles across this problem, and searches for an answer.

Anyway, all's well now.

Thanks again.