Sorry if you felt like it was push-back. Your original post included the following statement -
I took that to mean your intention was to build a comprehensive system for measuring temperature, pH and FC (as I said, TA, CH and CYA cannot be automated). My initial response mentioned ORP because that is the kind of FC monitoring probe you could get easily on the retail market and for a relatively cheap price (ORP probes retail for ~$200-$300). For the majority of pool owners, automated chemical monitoring is really not at all necessary and represents an added complexity that just makes pool ownership harder, not easier. So, while it is often sold by breathless salesman as a "thing" that every pool owner "must" have, the experiences shared hear on TFP tell the opposite story. Being new to the site, I wanted to make sure you had a healthy dose of skepticism so that you were prepared for the realities of automation control.
One of the reasons why we ask people to put in some personal details about themselves (location, occupation, hobbies, etc) is to get a feel for where they are at in life. TFP membership represents the very broad spectrum of backgrounds, occupations, interests and experience. So, since you say that you're an experimental physicist (do you teach in academia or work in industry? I was materials scientist & engineer in a former life and worked many years in the semiconductor processing industry), I think this type of project is right up your alley if you have the time and money to spend on it.
Best of luck,
Matt