Amount of paid and unpaid cash, stock, and paid-in-kind (PIK) dividends declared, for example, but not limited to, common and preferred stock.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 505

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.3-04)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27012166&loc=d3e187085-122770

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 942

-SubTopic 405

-Section 45

-Paragraph 2

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6957935&loc=d3e64057-112817

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_Dividends
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Date the dividend to be paid was declared, in CCYY-MM-DD format.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 230

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 3

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367179&loc=d3e4304-108586

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DividendsPayableDateDeclaredDayMonthAndYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Date the holder must own the stock to be entitled to the dividend, in CCYY-MM-DD format.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DividendsPayableDateOfRecordDayMonthAndYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of stock repurchase plan authorized.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_StockRepurchaseProgramAuthorizedAmount1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Detail information of subsequent event by type. User is expected to use existing line items from elsewhere in the taxonomy as the primary line items for this disclosure, which is further associated with dimension and member elements pertaining to a subsequent event.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SubsequentEventLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis=us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis=cgnx_RepurchaseProgramNovember2015Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Subsequent Events (Details) - Subsequent Event - USD ($)	Dec. 18, 2015	Dec. 04, 2015	Nov. 01, 2015
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Dividends			$ 0.07
Dividends payable, date declared	Dec. 18, 2015
Dividends payable, date of record		Dec. 04, 2015
Repurchase Program November 2015
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Authorized common stock to be repurchased			$ 100,000,000