Diagnostics — Gate Pressure & Compression
How hard is the system leaning on its brakes?
Layer 01 — The reads
Dwell, transitions, and squeeze.
Gate dwell time versus the Monte Carlo expectation is a first-class diagnostic: spending more time in Recovery and Buffer than the model expects flags pressure even while equity grows. Compression measures the gap between authorized deployment and full-ladder capacity — a system running compressed for months is telling you something the P&L isn't.
- Pressure and stability feed the Gate_Brake_State weekly read alongside compliance rate.
- Open-exposure compression is modeled by the benchmark — live squeeze is comparable, not anecdotal.
Layer 02 — The three reads
Dwell, transition velocity, and squeeze depth.
Pressure is read three ways: dwell (how long the system sits in each gate versus the benchmark expectation), transition velocity (how quickly it moves between gates — rapid oscillation is instability even when average depth looks fine), and squeeze depth (how far authorized deployment sits below full-ladder capacity, and for how long).
- Chronic mild compression is the stealth finding: no single alarming week, but months of capped authority quietly cutting compounding.
- Gate oscillation between Growth and Recovery flags edge-of-band operation — one bad cycle from a real regime change.
- Pressure trends feed the monthly Regime Engine read, where they become part of the composite score.
How MARS uses this
Drawdown from Equity Peak High routes the account into a gate. The gate then selects the throttle row, caps the maximum risk tier, sets the brake tone, and constrains which management variants are even permitted. Every deployment decision starts by reading this ladder - a good setup cannot override a restricted gate.
How it benefits you
The question 'should I be trading full size right now?' gets an exact answer instead of a mood. Risk compresses automatically as damage grows and re-expands only as capital heals - protecting accumulated gains, not just starting capital, without requiring willpower in the moment.
The seven-gate capital ladder. Each state carries its own brake meaning, tier cap, and risk authority - the marker shows an account operating in Growth.
Reference
Gate dwell reading — time-in-state as a diagnostic
| Observation | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| Long Growth dwell | Capital healthy — expansion states doing their job |
| Frequent Recovery visits | Normal breathing if exits are quick; friction if sticky |
| Buffer or deeper, early or often vs benchmark | Over-risked or executing poorly — compression pressure is real |
| Rising transition count | Gate instability — the account is oscillating, not trending |
| Worst gate reached vs benchmark | The single fastest read on survival pressure |
The governing idea
Connected inside MARS
This module doesn't work alone.
Go deeper
Operator briefs on this territory.
Deep dive — 01
Average gate rank: where the system actually lived this month.
One number for a month of capital states — and the root of every metric above it.
Read the full brief →
Deep dive — 02
Compression score: capital freedom expressed as a ratio.
Average rank over six. One ratio, four bands, and a polarity question the QA layer flags on purpose.
Read the full brief →
Deep dive — 03
Pressure score: how heavy the month actually was, weighted four ways.
Average DD 40%, max DD 30%, spikes 20%, compression 10% — the month's load, scored to 100.
Read the full brief →
Every module ships in the complete MARS package.
One price. Eleven workbooks, three TradingView indicators, and the full manual library — $497.