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Cash, Cash Equivalents and Investments - Components of Cash, Cash Equivalents and Investments (Detail) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Dec. 31, 2011
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]        
Cash $ 54,917us-gaap_Cash $ 40,124us-gaap_Cash    
Money market instruments 777us-gaap_MoneyMarketFundsAtCarryingValue 520us-gaap_MoneyMarketFundsAtCarryingValue    
Cash and cash equivalents 55,694us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue 40,644us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue 45,160us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue 38,103us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
Short-term investments 90,456us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesCurrent 184,822us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesCurrent    
Limited partnership interest (accounted for using cost method) 1,956us-gaap_CostMethodInvestments 1,956us-gaap_CostMethodInvestments    
Long-term investments 400,845us-gaap_LongTermInvestments 229,655us-gaap_LongTermInvestments    
Total 546,995cgnx_CashCashEquivalentsShortTermAndLongTermInvestments 455,121cgnx_CashCashEquivalentsShortTermAndLongTermInvestments    
Euro liquidity fund [Member]        
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]        
Short-term investments 48,235us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesCurrent
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= cgnx_EuroliquidityfundMember
     
Corporate Bonds [Member]        
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]        
Short-term investments 30,889us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesCurrent
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateBondSecuritiesMember
109,040us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesCurrent
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateBondSecuritiesMember
   
Long-term investments 216,294us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesNoncurrent
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateBondSecuritiesMember
109,909us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesNoncurrent
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateBondSecuritiesMember
   
Agency Bonds [Member]        
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]        
Short-term investments 6,883us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesCurrent
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= cgnx_AgencyBondsMember
1,499us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesCurrent
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= cgnx_AgencyBondsMember
   
Long-term investments 9,566us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesNoncurrent
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= cgnx_AgencyBondsMember
0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesNoncurrent
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= cgnx_AgencyBondsMember
   
Supranational bonds [Member]        
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]        
Short-term investments 1,901us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesCurrent
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= cgnx_SupranationalbondsMember
     
Asset-Backed Securities [Member]        
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]        
Short-term investments 1,311us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesCurrent
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_AssetBackedSecuritiesMember
53,559us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesCurrent
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_AssetBackedSecuritiesMember
   
Long-term investments 62,556us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesNoncurrent
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_AssetBackedSecuritiesMember
21,820us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesNoncurrent
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_AssetBackedSecuritiesMember
   
Municipal Bonds [Member]        
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]        
Short-term investments 1,237us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesCurrent
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_MunicipalBondsMember
9,276us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesCurrent
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_MunicipalBondsMember
   
Long-term investments 6,600us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesNoncurrent
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_MunicipalBondsMember
5,919us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesNoncurrent
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_MunicipalBondsMember
   
Sovereign Bonds [Member]        
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]        
Short-term investments 0us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesCurrent
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_SovereignDebtSecuritiesMember
11,448us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesCurrent
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_SovereignDebtSecuritiesMember
   
Long-term investments 13,461us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesNoncurrent
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_SovereignDebtSecuritiesMember
16,385us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesNoncurrent
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_SovereignDebtSecuritiesMember
   
Treasury Bills [Member]        
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]        
Long-term investments $ 90,412us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesNoncurrent
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_USTreasurySecuritiesMember
$ 73,666us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecuritiesNoncurrent
/ us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_USTreasurySecuritiesMember