PENSION PLANS (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011 Y plan	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
PENSION PLANS
Number of types of retirement plans	2
Aggregate net pension expense relating to the two plan types
Service costs	$ 1,289,000	$ 1,577,000	$ 1,477,000
Interest cost	1,326,000	1,568,000	1,469,000
Amortization of actuarial loss (gain)	67,000	(49,000)	(100,000)
Settlement and other related (gains) losses	(726,000)	1,149,000
Net pension expenses	1,956,000	4,245,000	2,846,000
Change in projected benefit obligation and accumulated benefit obligation
Projected benefit of obligation at beginning of the year	26,898,000	28,854,000
Service costs	1,289,000	1,577,000	1,477,000
Interest cost	1,326,000	1,568,000	1,469,000
Transfer of obligation upon sale	(91,000)	(5,284,000)
Settlement	(726,000)
Amendments and plan transfers	422,000	693,000
Actuarial loss	199,000	2,060,000
Benefits paid	(182,000)	(112,000)
Foreign currency exchange rate changes	616,000	(2,458,000)
Projected benefit obligation at end of the year	29,751,000	26,898,000	28,854,000
Accumulated benefit obligation at end of the year	24,069,000	23,425,000
Unfunded liability	29,800,000	26,900,000
Liability included in accrued and other liabilities	500,000	400,000
Liability included in other long-term liabilities	29,300,000	26,500,000
Actuarial assumptions used to determine benefit obligations
Period of assumptions for discount rate (in years)	30
Future estimated expected benefit payments over the next ten years
2012	484,000
2013	555,000
2014	506,000
2015	827,000
2016	957,000
2017 through 2020	9,052,000
Total	12,381,000
Loss resulted due to increase in pension liability, net of tax	197,000	788,000	(413,000)
Expected net pension cost for next fiscal year	2,800,000
Cash funding for benefits paid	200,000
Expected cash funding for benefits to be paid in next fiscal year	300,000
Net actuarial gain recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income	1,700,000	1,900,000
Manufacturing operations in Rousset, France
Aggregate net pension expense relating to the two plan types
Settlement and other related (gains) losses	(900,000)
Secure Microcontroller Solutions (SMS)
Aggregate net pension expense relating to the two plan types
Settlement and other related (gains) losses	200,000
Europe
Future estimated expected benefit payments over the next ten years
Increase in pension liability due to decrease in assumed discount rate and compensation rate of increase used to calculate pension obligation	200,000
Loss resulted due to increase in pension liability, net of tax	200,000
France
Aggregate net pension expense relating to the two plan types
Settlement and other related (gains) losses	$ (700,000)
Minimum
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Period of salary paid to Company's French employees as termination benefits at retirement, range (in months)	1
Actuarial assumptions used to determine benefit obligations
Assumed discount rate (as a percent)	4.60%	4.70%	4.90%
Assumed compensation rate of increase (as a percent)	2.50%	2.10%	2.20%
Maximum
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Period of salary paid to Company's French employees as termination benefits at retirement, range (in months)	5
Actuarial assumptions used to determine benefit obligations
Assumed discount rate (as a percent)	5.30%	5.00%	5.80%
Assumed compensation rate of increase (as a percent)	3.00%	4.00%	4.00%