Significant Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017
Significant Accounting Policies
Significant Accounting Policies	1. Significant Accounting Policies Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements included herein are unaudited; however, they contain all normal recurring accruals and adjustments which, in the opinion of management, are necessary to present fairly the condensed consolidated financial position of Silicon Laboratories Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”) at September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the condensed consolidated results of its operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and October 1, 2016, the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and October 1, 2016, and the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and October 1, 2016. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The condensed consolidated results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements do not include certain footnotes and financial presentations normally required under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Therefore, these Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2016, included in the Company’s Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 1, 2017. The Company prepares financial statements on a 52- or 53-week fiscal year that ends on the Saturday closest to December 31. Fiscal 2017 will have 52 weeks and fiscal 2016 had 52 weeks. In a 52-week year, each fiscal quarter consists of 13 weeks. Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Among the significant estimates affecting the financial statements are those related to inventories, stock-based compensation, investments in auction-rate securities, acquired intangible assets, goodwill, long-lived assets and income taxes. Actual results could differ from those estimates, and such differences could be material to the financial statements. Reclassifications Certain reclassifications have been made to prior year financial statements to conform to current year presentation. Revenue Recognition Revenues are generated predominately by sales of the Company’s products. The Company recognizes revenue when all of the following criteria are met: 1) there is persuasive evidence that an arrangement exists, 2) delivery of goods has occurred, 3) the sales price is fixed or determinable, and 4) collectibility is reasonably assured. Generally, revenue from product sales to direct customers and contract manufacturers is recognized upon shipment. A portion of the Company’s sales are made to distributors under agreements allowing certain rights of return and price protection related to the final selling price to the end customers. Accordingly, the Company defers revenue and cost of revenue on such sales until the distributors sell the product to the end customers. The net balance of deferred revenue less deferred cost of revenue associated with inventory shipped to a distributor but not yet sold to an end customer is recorded in the deferred income on shipments to distributors liability on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. Such net deferred income balance reflects the Company’s estimate of the impact of rights of return and price protection. A small portion of the Company’s revenues is derived from the sale of patents. The above revenue recognition criteria for patent sales are generally met upon the execution of the patent sale agreement. Recent Accounting Pronouncements In August 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities. The objectives of this ASU are to improve the financial reporting of hedging relationships to better portray the economic results of an entity’s risk management activities in its financial statements and to make certain targeted improvements to simplify the application of the hedge accounting guidance in current GAAP. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that the adoption of this ASU will have on its financial statements. In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-03, Accounting Changes and Error Corrections (Topic 250) and Investments—Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323). This ASU amends the disclosure requirements for ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) and ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. This ASU states that if a registrant does not know or cannot reasonably estimate the impact that the adoption of the above ASUs is expected to have on the financial statements, then in addition to making a statement to that effect, the registrant should consider additional qualitative financial statement disclosures to assist the reader in assessing the significance of the impact that the standard will have on the financial statements of the registrant when adopted. This ASU was effective upon issuance. The Company adopted this ASU and added qualitative financial statement disclosures as necessary. In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. This ASU eliminates Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. Instead, an entity should recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value, not to exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. This ASU is effective for annual or any interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that the adoption of this ASU will have on its financial statements. In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-01, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a Business. This ASU clarifies the definition of a business with the objective of adding guidance to assist entities with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses. This ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those periods. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that the adoption of this ASU will have on its financial statements. In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-16, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory. This ASU requires the recognition of the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory when the transfer occurs. The amendments in this ASU should be applied on a modified retrospective basis through a cumulative-effect adjustment directly to retained earnings as of the beginning of the period of adoption. The Company early adopted this ASU on January 1, 2017. The adoption did not have a material impact on its financial statements. In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments. This ASU provides guidance on statement of cash flows presentation for eight specific cash flow issues where diversity in practice exists. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently evaluating the effect of the adoption of this ASU, but anticipates that the adoption will not have a material impact on its financial statements. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. This ASU requires instruments measured at amortized cost to be presented at the net amount expected to be collected. Entities are also required to record allowances for available-for-sale debt securities rather than reduce the carrying amount. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company expects that the adoption will not have a material impact on its financial statements. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. This ASU simplifies several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities and classification on the statement of cash flows. The Company adopted this ASU on January 1, 2017. Amendments related to the classification of excess tax benefits on the statement of cash flows were applied prospectively. Prior periods have not been adjusted. In connection with its adoption of ASU 2016-09, the Company has recorded excess tax benefits of $4.1 million through the nine months ended September 30, 2017. The adoption had no other material impact on the Company’s financial statements. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). The core principle of Topic 842 is that a lessee should recognize the assets and liabilities that arise from leases. For operating leases, a lessee is required to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability, initially measured at the present value of the lease payments, in the statement of financial position. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is evaluating the effect that the adoption of this ASU will have on its financial statements. The Company currently expects that most of its operating lease commitments will be subject to the new standard and recognized as right-of-use assets and operating lease liabilities upon the adoption of ASU 2016-02, which will increase the total assets and total liabilities that it reports relative to such amounts prior to adoption. In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01, Financial Instruments—Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. This ASU addresses certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of financial instruments. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company expects that the adoption will not have a material impact on its financial statements. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 605, Revenue Recognition. The core principle of ASU 2014-09 is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance provides a five-step process to achieve that core principle. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date, which deferred the effective date of ASU 2014-09 to annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period. In 2016, the FASB issued the following amendments to ASC 606: ASU No. 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net), which clarifies the implementation guidance on principal versus agent considerations; ASU No. 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing, which clarifies guidance on identification of performance obligations and licensing implementation; ASU No. 2016-12, Compensation—Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients, which provides clarifying guidance on assessing collectibility, presentation of sales taxes, noncash consideration, contract modifications and completed contracts; and ASU No. 2016-20, Technical Corrections and Improvements to Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which clarifies narrow aspects of ASC 606 or corrects unintended application of the guidance. The standard may be applied retrospectively to each prior period presented (full retrospective method) or retrospectively with the cumulative effect recognized as of the date of initial application (modified retrospective method). Under the new standard, the Company expects the timing of revenue recognition from sales to distributors to be accelerated. The Company will recognize revenue at the time of sale to the distributor, net of the impact of estimated price adjustments and rights of return. As a result, revenue recognition is expected to be more directly impacted by shipments to distributors. The Company currently anticipates adopting this standard using the modified retrospective method. Under this method, incremental disclosures will be provided to present each financial statement line item for fiscal 2018 under the prior standard. The Company has completed an initial assessment of the new standard and is continuing to evaluate the effect that the adoption will have on its financial statements.

1. Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation

The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements included herein are unaudited; however, they contain all normal recurring accruals and adjustments which, in the opinion of management, are necessary to present fairly the condensed consolidated financial position of Silicon Laboratories Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”) at September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the condensed consolidated results of its operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and October 1, 2016, the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and October 1, 2016, and the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and October 1, 2016. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The condensed consolidated results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year.

The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements do not include certain footnotes and financial presentations normally required under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Therefore, these Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2016, included in the Company’s Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 1, 2017.

The Company prepares financial statements on a 52- or 53-week fiscal year that ends on the Saturday closest to December 31. Fiscal 2017 will have 52 weeks and fiscal 2016 had 52 weeks. In a 52-week year, each fiscal quarter consists of 13 weeks.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Among the significant estimates affecting the financial statements are those related to inventories, stock-based compensation, investments in auction-rate securities, acquired intangible assets, goodwill, long-lived assets and income taxes. Actual results could differ from those estimates, and such differences could be material to the financial statements.

Reclassifications

Certain reclassifications have been made to prior year financial statements to conform to current year presentation.

Revenue Recognition

Revenues are generated predominately by sales of the Company’s products. The Company recognizes revenue when all of the following criteria are met: 1) there is persuasive evidence that an arrangement exists, 2) delivery of goods has occurred, 3) the sales price is fixed or determinable, and 4) collectibility is reasonably assured. Generally, revenue from product sales to direct customers and contract manufacturers is recognized upon shipment.

A portion of the Company’s sales are made to distributors under agreements allowing certain rights of return and price protection related to the final selling price to the end customers. Accordingly, the Company defers revenue and cost of revenue on such sales until the distributors sell the product to the end customers. The net balance of deferred revenue less deferred cost of revenue associated with inventory shipped to a distributor but not yet sold to an end customer is recorded in the deferred income on shipments to distributors liability on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. Such net deferred income balance reflects the Company’s estimate of the impact of rights of return and price protection.

A small portion of the Company’s revenues is derived from the sale of patents. The above revenue recognition criteria for patent sales are generally met upon the execution of the patent sale agreement.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In August 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities. The objectives of this ASU are to improve the financial reporting of hedging relationships to better portray the economic results of an entity’s risk management activities in its financial statements and to make certain targeted improvements to simplify the application of the hedge accounting guidance in current GAAP. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that the adoption of this ASU will have on its financial statements.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-03, Accounting Changes and Error Corrections (Topic 250) and Investments—Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323). This ASU amends the disclosure requirements for ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) and ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. This ASU states that if a registrant does not know or cannot reasonably estimate the impact that the adoption of the above ASUs is expected to have on the financial statements, then in addition to making a statement to that effect, the registrant should consider additional qualitative financial statement disclosures to assist the reader in assessing the significance of the impact that the standard will have on the financial statements of the registrant when adopted. This ASU was effective upon issuance. The Company adopted this ASU and added qualitative financial statement disclosures as necessary.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. This ASU eliminates Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. Instead, an entity should recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value, not to exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. This ASU is effective for annual or any interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that the adoption of this ASU will have on its financial statements.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-01, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a Business. This ASU clarifies the definition of a business with the objective of adding guidance to assist entities with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses. This ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those periods. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that the adoption of this ASU will have on its financial statements.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-16, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory. This ASU requires the recognition of the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory when the transfer occurs. The amendments in this ASU should be applied on a modified retrospective basis through a cumulative-effect adjustment directly to retained earnings as of the beginning of the period of adoption. The Company early adopted this ASU on January 1, 2017. The adoption did not have a material impact on its financial statements.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments. This ASU provides guidance on statement of cash flows presentation for eight specific cash flow issues where diversity in practice exists. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently evaluating the effect of the adoption of this ASU, but anticipates that the adoption will not have a material impact on its financial statements.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. This ASU requires instruments measured at amortized cost to be presented at the net amount expected to be collected. Entities are also required to record allowances for available-for-sale debt securities rather than reduce the carrying amount. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company expects that the adoption will not have a material impact on its financial statements.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. This ASU simplifies several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities and classification on the statement of cash flows. The Company adopted this ASU on January 1, 2017. Amendments related to the classification of excess tax benefits on the statement of cash flows were applied prospectively. Prior periods have not been adjusted. In connection with its adoption of ASU 2016-09, the Company has recorded excess tax benefits of $4.1 million through the nine months ended September 30, 2017. The adoption had no other material impact on the Company’s financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). The core principle of Topic 842 is that a lessee should recognize the assets and liabilities that arise from leases. For operating leases, a lessee is required to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability, initially measured at the present value of the lease payments, in the statement of financial position. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is evaluating the effect that the adoption of this ASU will have on its financial statements. The Company currently expects that most of its operating lease commitments will be subject to the new standard and recognized as right-of-use assets and operating lease liabilities upon the adoption of ASU 2016-02, which will increase the total assets and total liabilities that it reports relative to such amounts prior to adoption.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01, Financial Instruments—Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. This ASU addresses certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of financial instruments. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company expects that the adoption will not have a material impact on its financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 605, Revenue Recognition. The core principle of ASU 2014-09 is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance provides a five-step process to achieve that core principle. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date, which deferred the effective date of ASU 2014-09 to annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period. In 2016, the FASB issued the following amendments to ASC 606: ASU No. 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net), which clarifies the implementation guidance on principal versus agent considerations; ASU No. 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing, which clarifies guidance on identification of performance obligations and licensing implementation; ASU No. 2016-12, Compensation—Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients, which provides clarifying guidance on assessing collectibility, presentation of sales taxes, noncash consideration, contract modifications and completed contracts; and ASU No. 2016-20, Technical Corrections and Improvements to Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which clarifies narrow aspects of ASC 606 or corrects unintended application of the guidance. The standard may be applied retrospectively to each prior period presented (full retrospective method) or retrospectively with the cumulative effect recognized as of the date of initial application (modified retrospective method). Under the new standard, the Company expects the timing of revenue recognition from sales to distributors to be accelerated. The Company will recognize revenue at the time of sale to the distributor, net of the impact of estimated price adjustments and rights of return. As a result, revenue recognition is expected to be more directly impacted by shipments to distributors. The Company currently anticipates adopting this standard using the modified retrospective method. Under this method, incremental disclosures will be provided to present each financial statement line item for fiscal 2018 under the prior standard. The Company has completed an initial assessment of the new standard and is continuing to evaluate the effect that the adoption will have on its financial statements.