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atari pc

It is possible that you can program a micro controller so you can wire the original Atari 800 keyboard to a PC. It has been done with various other hardware projects, but it is far from trivial. Not to mention that the keyboard layout is radically different from a typical PC keyboard.
 
Can't you just cut the keyboard circuitry off and then put it into another case and then rewire it? Or is that impossible?

could you wire up a new modern keyboard?

EDIT: let me clarify: this is done with..An 800 motherboard, not a PC. I'm sure with the pc-800 keyboard mod would be very hard.
 
I don't have any hardware experience in that matter. This mini-ITX case mod unfortunately only uses an Atari XL keyboard as a prop:

http://www.mini-itx.com/projects/atari800/

This SX-64 (!) mod however incorporates a small circuit that converts the 8x8 keyboard matrix into a PS/2 keyboard signal:

http://www.mini-itx.com/projects/sx64/default.asp?page=3

Here is another approach, using an Acorn BBC computer. This one does like you suggested, separating the mechanism from the circuit board and map key by key onto a PS/2 board. In all cases, you will probably need to install a special keymap on your computer to use the keyboard as you wish.

http://www.mini-itx.com/projects/bbcitxb/

Nowadays, you can buy a product called Keyrah that lets you use any VIC, C64, C128 etc keyboard as a PC keyboard. You take an ideally broken computer, keep only the keyboard, install the circuit and run a cable from the interface to your PC. I don't know if e.g. Atari computers have a radically different way to address the keyboard than Commodore had, but it should be possible to find out for anyone who cares.
 
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