I have been working on a program that uses the voltage spikes of a piezo crystal in the same function as a drum trigger is used. But I didn’t account for the weak current not being read on the arduino when I try to send the signal through a longer length of cabling..
Please help!
Please do not make this thread a guessing game! What happens when you try to send this signal???
Paul, I wasn’t attempting to make is a guessing game. I figured the part about sending the voltage through a longer length of cabling would imply a weaker/undetected signal.
I can appreciate that a little more clarity can be useful, but their are kinder approaches to asking for that, especially when some of us hobbyists find it challenging to ask for help.
It is not the current you measure with the Arduino, it is the voltage.
What is happening is that the capacitance of the long wire is swallowing this voltage.
Can you please show us a diagram as to how you wired up the sensor? We do not know what sort of setup you have with regard to protection diodes. The voltage from an incorrectly terminated sensor can be over +/- 100V.
Are you wanting this signal to be proportional to the hit strength? If you do this changes what you need to do to make sure your hits are amplified in the correct way.
Sorry we are all engineers here, and so do not consider “kindness” in our approach to answering questions. Sometimes this direct approach is misunderstood by some but it is never meant. Hence my choice of user name, I know that sometimes my direct approach is misinterpreted by some.
When I meet people at shows and exhibitions when I am showing my stuff, people often say “you don’t sound grumpy” I now reply “its my day off”.
Not necessarily true. Have you tried to see if it is indeed undetectable.
How long are these wires?
Hi, @spokenwurds
Welcome to the forum.
Can you please post a copy of your circuit, a picture of a hand drawn circuit in jpg, png?
Hand drawn and photographed is perfectly acceptable.
Please include ALL hardware, power supplies, component names and pin labels.
Tom.... 
The cable capacitance is most likely the problem. The amplifier or detector has to be located close to the piezo.
I would give the same answer if we were face-to-face. And I consider this forum just that way.
You need to get used to it. I have always asked questions of anyone asking for help on any subject. Otherwise I will not really understand what may be causing their problem.
Twenty years ago, when using piezoelectric accelerometers for vibration testing, I used to use a charge amplifier.
I'm not sure whether the principle is applicable in this case.