The Company and Basis of Presentation (Policies)	6 Months Ended
Jul. 01, 2012
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Fiscal Period	QuickLogic's fiscal year ends on the Sunday closest to December 31. QuickLogic's second fiscal quarter for 2012 and 2011 ended Sunday, July 1, 2012 and July 3, 2011, respectively.
Liquidity	Liquidity We have financed our operations and capital investments through sales of common stock, private equity investments, capital and operating leases, bank lines of credit and cash flows from operations. As of July 1, 2012, our principal sources of liquidity consisted of our cash and cash equivalents of $26.9 million, $6.0 million in available credit under our revolving line of credit with Silicon Valley Bank , which expires June 28, 2013, and our investment in TowerJazz Semiconductor Ltd., or TowerJazz, with a fair value of approximately $432,000. The Company anticipates that its existing cash resources will fund operations, finance purchases of capital equipment and provide adequate working capital for at least the next twelve months. The Company's liquidity is affected by many factors including, among others: the level of revenue and gross profit as a result of the cyclicality of the semiconductor industry; the conversion of design opportunities into revenue; market acceptance of existing and new products including CSSPs based on our ArcticLink™ and PolarPro^® solution platforms; fluctuations in revenue as a result of product end-of-life; fluctuations in revenue as a result of the stage in the product life cycle of our customers' products; costs of securing access to and availability of adequate manufacturing capacity; levels of inventories; wafer purchase commitments; customer credit terms; the amount and timing of research and development expenditures; the timing of new product introductions; production volumes; product quality; sales and marketing efforts; the value and liquidity of our investment portfolio; changes in operating assets and liabilities; the ability to obtain or renew debt financing and to remain in compliance with the terms of existing credit facilities; the ability to raise funds from the sale of shares of TowerJazz and equity in the Company; the issuance and exercise of stock options and participation in the Company's employee stock purchase plan; and other factors related to the uncertainties of the industry and global economics. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that events in the future will not require the Company to seek additional capital or, if so required, that such capital will be available on terms acceptable to the Company.
Principles of Consolidation	Principles of Consolidation The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of QuickLogic and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. The functional currency of the Company and its subsidiaries is the United States dollar.
Foreign Currency	Foreign Currency The functional currency of the Company's non-U.S. operations is the U.S. dollar. Accordingly, all monetary assets and liabilities of these foreign operations are translated into U.S. dollars at current period-end exchange rates and non-monetary assets and related elements of expense are translated using historical exchange rates. Income and expense elements are translated to U.S. dollars using average exchange rates in effect during the period. Gains and losses from the foreign currency transactions of these subsidiaries are recorded as interest income and other, net in the statement of operations.
Use of Estimates	Uses of Estimates The preparation of these consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP, requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the period. Actual results could differ from those estimates, particularly in relation to revenue recognition, the allowance for doubtful accounts, sales returns, valuation of investments, valuation of long-lived assets, valuation of inventories including identification of excess quantities, market value and obsolescence, measurement of stock-based compensation awards, accounting for income taxes and estimating accrued liabilities.
Concentration Risk	Concentration of Risk The Company's accounts receivable are denominated in U.S. dollars and are derived primarily from sales to customers located in North America, Asia Pacific, and Europe. The Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers and generally does not require collateral. See Note 12 for information regarding concentrations associated with accounts receivable. The Company's investment in TowerJazz is subject to equity risk. See Note 4 for the information regarding the Company's investment in TowerJazz Semiconductor, Ltd.
New Accounting Pronouncements	New Accounting Pronouncements In May 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, issued guidance to amend certain measurement and disclosure requirements related to fair value measurements to improve consistency with international reporting standards. This guidance is effective prospectively for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2011, with early adoption by public entities prohibited. The adoption of this guidance in the first quarter of 2012 did not have any impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In June 2011, the FASB issued new guidance on the presentation of comprehensive income that will require a company to present components of net income and other comprehensive income in one continuous statement or in two separate, but consecutive statements. There are no changes to the components that are recognized in net income or other comprehensive income under current GAAP. This guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2011, with early adoption permitted. The adoption of this guidance in the fourth quarter of 2011 did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In December 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-11, “Balance Sheet (Topic 210)-Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities” (“ASU 2011-11”). The update requires entities to disclose information about offsetting and related arrangements of financial instruments and derivative instruments. ASU 2011-11 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning on or after January 1, 2013. The Company currently believes there will be no significant impact on its financial statements.
Earnings Per Share	Basic net income (loss) per share is computed by dividing net income (loss) available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net income (loss) per share was computed using the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period plus potentially dilutive common shares outstanding during the period under the treasury stock method. In computing diluted net income (loss) per share, the weighted average stock price for the period is used in determining the number of shares assumed to be purchased from the exercise of stock options and warrants.
Valuation Assumptions	The amended authoritative guidance requires companies to estimate the fair value of stock-based compensation awards. The fair value of stock-based compensation awards is measured at the grant date and re-measured upon modification, as appropriate. The Company uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model to estimate the fair value of employee stock options and rights to purchase shares under the Company's ESPP, consistent with the provisions of the amended authoritative guidance. Using the Black-Scholes pricing model requires the Company to develop highly subjective assumptions including the expected term of awards, expected volatility of its stock, expected risk-free interest rate and expected dividend rate over the term of the award. The Company's expected term of awards assumption is based primarily on its historical experience with similar grants. The Company's expected stock price volatility assumption for both stock options and ESPP shares is based on the historical volatility of the Company's stock, using the daily average of the opening and closing prices and measured using historical data appropriate for the expected term. The risk-free interest rate assumption approximates the risk-free interest rate of a Treasury Constant Maturity bond with a maturity approximately equal to the expected term of the stock option or ESPP shares. This fair value is expensed over the requisite service period of the award. The fair value of restricted stock awards, or RSAs and restricted stock units, or RSUs is based on the closing price of the Company's common stock on the date of grant. Equity compensation awards which vest with service are expensed using the straight-line attribution method over the requisite service period. In addition to the assumptions used in the Black-Scholes pricing model, the amended authoritative guidance requires that the Company recognize expense for awards ultimately expected to vest; therefore we are required to develop an estimate of the number of awards expected to be forfeited prior to vesting, or forfeiture rate. The forfeiture rate is estimated based on historical pre-vest cancellation experience and is applied to all share-based awards.

The Company and Basis of Presentation (Policies)

6 Months Ended

Jul. 01, 2012

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

QuickLogic's fiscal year ends on the Sunday closest to December 31. QuickLogic's second fiscal quarter for 2012 and 2011 ended Sunday, July 1, 2012 and July 3, 2011, respectively.

Liquidity

We have financed our operations and capital investments through sales of common stock, private equity investments, capital and operating leases, bank lines of credit and cash flows from operations. As of July 1, 2012, our principal sources of liquidity consisted of our cash and cash equivalents of $26.9 million, $6.0 million in available credit under our revolving line of credit with Silicon Valley Bank , which expires June 28, 2013, and our investment in TowerJazz Semiconductor Ltd., or TowerJazz, with a fair value of approximately $432,000.

The Company anticipates that its existing cash resources will fund operations, finance purchases of capital equipment and provide adequate working capital for at least the next twelve months. The Company's liquidity is affected by many factors including, among others: the level of revenue and gross profit as a result of the cyclicality of the semiconductor industry; the conversion of design opportunities into revenue; market acceptance of existing and new products including CSSPs based on our ArcticLink™ and PolarPro^® solution platforms; fluctuations in revenue as a result of product end-of-life; fluctuations in revenue as a result of the stage in the product life cycle of our customers' products; costs of securing access to and availability of adequate manufacturing capacity; levels of inventories; wafer purchase commitments; customer credit terms; the amount and timing of research and development expenditures; the timing of new product introductions; production volumes; product quality; sales and marketing efforts; the value and liquidity of our investment portfolio; changes in operating assets and liabilities; the ability to obtain or renew debt financing and to remain in compliance with the terms of existing credit facilities; the ability to raise funds from the sale of shares of TowerJazz and equity in the Company; the issuance and exercise of stock options and participation in the Company's employee stock purchase plan; and other factors related to the uncertainties of the industry and global economics. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that events in the future will not require the Company to seek additional capital or, if so required, that such capital will be available on terms acceptable to the Company.

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of QuickLogic and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. The functional currency of the Company and its subsidiaries is the United States dollar.

Foreign Currency

The functional currency of the Company's non-U.S. operations is the U.S. dollar. Accordingly, all monetary assets and liabilities of these foreign operations are translated into U.S. dollars at current period-end exchange rates and non-monetary assets and related elements of expense are translated using historical exchange rates. Income and expense elements are translated to U.S. dollars using average exchange rates in effect during the period. Gains and losses from the foreign currency transactions of these subsidiaries are recorded as interest income and other, net in the statement of operations.

Use of Estimates

Uses of Estimates

The preparation of these consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP, requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the period. Actual results could differ from those estimates, particularly in relation to revenue recognition, the allowance for doubtful accounts, sales returns, valuation of investments, valuation of long-lived assets, valuation of inventories including identification of excess quantities, market value and obsolescence, measurement of stock-based compensation awards, accounting for income taxes and estimating accrued liabilities.

Concentration Risk

Concentration of Risk

The Company's accounts receivable are denominated in U.S. dollars and are derived primarily from sales to customers located in North America, Asia Pacific, and Europe. The Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers and generally does not require collateral. See Note 12 for information regarding concentrations associated with accounts receivable. The Company's investment in TowerJazz is subject to equity risk. See Note 4 for the information regarding the Company's investment in TowerJazz Semiconductor, Ltd.

New Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, issued guidance to amend certain measurement and disclosure requirements related to fair value measurements to improve consistency with international reporting standards. This guidance is effective prospectively for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2011, with early adoption by public entities prohibited. The adoption of this guidance in the first quarter of 2012 did not have any impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

In June 2011, the FASB issued new guidance on the presentation of comprehensive income that will require a company to present components of net income and other comprehensive income in one continuous statement or in two separate, but consecutive statements. There are no changes to the components that are recognized in net income or other comprehensive income under current GAAP. This guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2011, with early adoption permitted. The adoption of this guidance in the fourth quarter of 2011 did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

In December 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-11, “Balance Sheet (Topic 210)-Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities” (“ASU 2011-11”). The update requires entities to disclose information about offsetting and related arrangements of financial instruments and derivative instruments. ASU 2011-11 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning on or after January 1, 2013. The Company currently believes there will be no significant impact on its financial statements.

Earnings Per Share

Basic net income (loss) per share is computed by dividing net income (loss) available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net income (loss) per share was computed using the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period plus potentially dilutive common shares outstanding during the period under the treasury stock method. In computing diluted net income (loss) per share, the weighted average stock price for the period is used in determining the number of shares assumed to be purchased from the exercise of stock options and warrants.

Valuation Assumptions

The amended authoritative guidance requires companies to estimate the fair value of stock-based compensation awards. The fair value of stock-based compensation awards is measured at the grant date and re-measured upon modification, as appropriate. The Company uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model to estimate the fair value of employee stock options and rights to purchase shares under the Company's ESPP, consistent with the provisions of the amended authoritative guidance. Using the Black-Scholes pricing model requires the Company to develop highly subjective assumptions including the expected term of awards, expected volatility of its stock, expected risk-free interest rate and expected dividend rate over the term of the award. The Company's expected term of awards assumption is based primarily on its historical experience with similar grants. The Company's expected stock price volatility assumption for both stock options and ESPP shares is based on the historical volatility of the Company's stock, using the daily average of the opening and closing prices and measured using historical data appropriate for the expected term. The risk-free interest rate assumption approximates the risk-free interest rate of a Treasury Constant Maturity bond with a maturity approximately equal to the expected term of the stock option or ESPP shares. This fair value is expensed over the requisite service period of the award. The fair value of restricted stock awards, or RSAs and restricted stock units, or RSUs is based on the closing price of the Company's common stock on the date of grant. Equity compensation awards which vest with service are expensed using the straight-line attribution method over the requisite service period.

In addition to the assumptions used in the Black-Scholes pricing model, the amended authoritative guidance requires that the Company recognize expense for awards ultimately expected to vest; therefore we are required to develop an estimate of the number of awards expected to be forfeited prior to vesting, or forfeiture rate. The forfeiture rate is estimated based on historical pre-vest cancellation experience and is applied to all share-based awards.