Special Shares	12 Months Ended
Dec. 28, 2013
Special Shares [Abstract]
Special Shares	NOTE 12. SPECIAL SHARES At December 28 2013 and December 29, 2012, the Company maintained a reserve of 1,019,000 shares, of PMC common stock to be issued to holders of PMC-Sierra, Ltd. (“LTD”) special shares. The special shares of LTD, the Company’s principal Canadian subsidiary, are redeemable or exchangeable for PMC common stock. Special shares do not vote on matters presented to the Company’s stockholders, but in all other respects represent the economic and functional equivalent of PMC common stock for which they can be redeemed or exchanged at the option of the holders. The special shares have class voting rights with respect to transactions that affect the rights of the special shares as a class and for certain extraordinary corporate transactions involving LTD. If LTD files for bankruptcy, is liquidated or dissolved, the special shares receive as a preference the number of shares of PMC common stock issuable on conversion plus a nominal amount per share plus unpaid dividends, or at the holder’s option convert into LTD ordinary shares, which are the functional equivalent of voting common stock. If the Company files for bankruptcy, is liquidated, or dissolved, special shares of LTD receive the cash equivalent of the value of PMC common stock into which the special shares could be converted, plus unpaid dividends, or at the holder’s option convert into LTD ordinary shares. If the Company materially breaches its obligations to special shareholders of LTD (primarily to permit conversion of special shares into PMC common stock), the special shareholders may convert their shares into LTD ordinary shares. These special shares of LTD are classified outside of stockholders’ equity until such shares are exchanged for PMC common stock. Upon exchange, amounts will be transferred from the LTD special shares account to the Company’s common stock and additional paid-in capital on the consolidated balance sheet.

Special Shares

12 Months Ended

Dec. 28, 2013

NOTE 12. SPECIAL SHARES

At December 28 2013 and December 29, 2012, the Company maintained a reserve of 1,019,000 shares, of PMC common stock to be issued to holders of PMC-Sierra, Ltd. (“LTD”) special shares. The special shares of LTD, the Company’s principal Canadian subsidiary, are redeemable or exchangeable for PMC common stock. Special shares do not vote on matters presented to the Company’s stockholders, but in all other respects represent the economic and functional equivalent of PMC common stock for which they can be redeemed or exchanged at the option of the holders. The special shares have class voting rights with respect to transactions that affect the rights of the special shares as a class and for certain extraordinary corporate transactions involving LTD. If LTD files for bankruptcy, is liquidated or dissolved, the special shares receive as a preference the number of shares of PMC common stock issuable on conversion plus a nominal amount per share plus unpaid dividends, or at the holder’s option convert into LTD ordinary shares, which are the functional equivalent of voting common stock. If the Company files for bankruptcy, is liquidated, or dissolved, special shares of LTD receive the cash equivalent of the value of PMC common stock into which the special shares could be converted, plus unpaid dividends, or at the holder’s option convert into LTD ordinary shares. If the Company materially breaches its obligations to special shareholders of LTD (primarily to permit conversion of special shares into PMC common stock), the special shareholders may convert their shares into LTD ordinary shares.

These special shares of LTD are classified outside of stockholders’ equity until such shares are exchanged for PMC common stock. Upon exchange, amounts will be transferred from the LTD special shares account to the Company’s common stock and additional paid-in capital on the consolidated balance sheet.