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Guarantees
6 Months Ended
Jun. 25, 2011
Guarantees [Abstract]  
Guarantees
9.   Guarantees
    Our products are generally sold with warranty periods that range from 12 to 36 months following sale or acceptance. Parts and labor are covered under the terms of the warranty agreement. The warranty provision is based on historical and projected experience by product and configuration.
 
    Changes in accrued warranty were as follows (in thousands):
                                 
    Three Months Ended     Six Months Ended  
    June 25,     June 26,     June 25,     June 26,  
    2011     2010     2011     2010  
             
Balance at beginning of period
  $ 6,303     $ 3,987     $ 5,016     $ 3,747  
Warranty expense accruals
    2,178       1,397       5,449       2,648  
Warranty payments
    (2,401 )     (1,105 )     (4,385 )     (2,116 )
 
                       
Balance at end of period
  $ 6,080     $ 4,279     $ 6,080     $ 4,279  
 
                       
    From time-to-time, during the ordinary course of business, we provide standby letters of credit for certain contingent liabilities under contractual arrangements, including customer contracts. As of June 25, 2011, the maximum potential amount of future payments that Cohu could be required to make under these standby letters of credit was approximately $0.6 million. We have not recorded any liability in connection with these guarantee arrangements beyond that required to appropriately account for the underlying transaction being guaranteed. We do not believe, based on historical experience and information currently available, that it is probable that any amounts will be required to be paid under these arrangements.