Commodity monitoring systems, cable assemblies, cable sensor nodes, and related methods and systems

A method of forming a sensor node on a cable, comprising:

• forming an opening in a cable jacket of the cable;
• injection molding a housing structure over the opening in the cable jacket of the cable and at least partially through the cable such that at least a portion of the housing structure is formed between two conductors of the cable,
• wherein injection molding the housing structure comprises forming a receiving channel in the housing structure extending between the two conductors of the cable and comprising sidewalls having waved surfaces;
• disposing a circuit board within the receiving channel of the housing structure such that a first lateral side of the circuit board faces a first conductor of the two conductors and a second lateral side of the circuit board faces a second conductor of the two conductors;
• and
• ultrasonically welding at least one cap member over the opening in the cable jacket of the cable and the circuit board.

A commodity monitoring system, comprising:

• at least one computing device;
• a container for storing a commodity;
• and
• a cable assembly installed within the container and in communication with the at least one computing device, the cable assembly comprising:
• a plurality of cables, each cable comprising a pair of conductors;
• and
• a plurality of sensor nodes secured to the plurality of cables, each cable of the plurality of cables having at least one sensor node of the plurality of sensor nodes secured thereto, each sensor node of the plurality of sensor nodes comprising:
• a segment of a respective cable;
• an injection molded housing structure formed over the respective cable and extending through a slot extending through the cable and between the pair of conductors;
• a receiving channel extending through the housing structure and between the pair of conductors, the receiving channel comprising side walls having irregular surfaces;
• and
• a circuit board disposed within the receiving channel of the housing structure and interposed between the pair of conductors of the cable.