RSI Pass Node
Relative Strength Index — Series Input
Overview
The RSI Pass Node computes the Relative Strength Index on a series input using Wilder smoothing. RSI measures the speed and magnitude of recent price changes to evaluate overbought or oversold conditions on a [0, 100] scale.
Developed by J. Welles Wilder Jr. in 1978, RSI remains one of the most widely used technical indicators. As a Pass node, it accepts any numeric series — allowing RSI to be applied to other indicator outputs, custom price composites, or derived series rather than raw OHLCV price data.
Formula
Parameters
| Parameter | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| period | 14 | Wilder smoothing period for average gain and loss |
Inputs & Outputs
| Slot | Direction | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| input | Input | { values, timestamps } | Any numeric series (price, volume, another indicator output) |
| values | Output | (number | null)[] | RSI values in [0, 100]; nulls during warm-up |
| timestamps | Output | number[] | Unix timestamps aligned to input |
Use Cases
RSI of Another Indicator
Chain RSI Pass after another indicator output — e.g., RSI of volume creates a volume momentum oscillator; RSI of ATR measures volatility momentum; RSI of ROC adds a second normalization layer.
Classic Overbought / Oversold
Apply to close price: readings above 70 signal overbought; below 30 signal oversold. In trending markets, use 80/20 thresholds; in ranging markets, 70/30 works better. Always confirm with the trend context.
Stochastic RSI Foundation
Feed RSI Pass output into a min-max normalization node (or Stochastic RSI Pass) to create the Stochastic RSI — RSI applied to itself, giving a more sensitive oscillator for short-term trading.
Tips & Best Practices
Wilder Smoothing vs EMA
This node uses Wilder's original smoothing (α = 1/period), not a standard EMA. A 14-period Wilder RSI is slower than a 14-period EMA-based RSI. This is the correct, standard implementation.
Divergence Beats Threshold
RSI divergences are more reliable signals than simple overbought/oversold threshold crossings. Price making new highs while RSI makes lower highs is a powerful bearish warning that precedes many significant corrections.
Midline as Trend Filter
RSI consistently above 50 confirms a bullish trend; consistently below 50 confirms a bearish trend. Use the 50-level as a trend filter — take long signals only when RSI is above 50 and short signals only below 50.