Organization And Basis Of Presentation

12 Months Ended

Jan. 29, 2012

Organization And Basis Of Presentation [Abstract]

Organization And Basis Of Presentation

Note 1. Organization and Basis of Presentation

Semtech Corporation (together with its subsidiaries, the "Company") is a global supplier of analog and mixed-signal semiconductor products. The end-customers for the Company's products are primarily original equipment manufacturers ("OEM's") that produce and sell electronics.

The Company designs, develops and markets a wide range of products for commercial applications, the majority of which are sold into the computing, communications, high-end consumer and industrial end-markets.

High-End Consumer: handheld products, set-top boxes, digital televisions, tablet computers, digital video recorders and other consumer equipment.

Industrial: automated meter reading, military and aerospace, medical, security systems, automotive, industrial and home automation, and other industrial equipment.

Computing: desktops, notebooks, servers, graphic boards, monitors, printers and other computer peripherals.

Communications: base stations, optical networks, switches and routers, wireless LAN and other communication infrastructure equipment.

Historically, the Company's results have reflected some seasonality, with demand levels generally being higher in the computer and high-end consumer products groups during the third and fourth quarters of the Company's fiscal year in comparison to the first and second quarters.

Fiscal Year

The Company reports results on the basis of 52 and 53 week periods. The Company's fiscal year ends on the last Sunday of January. The fiscal years ended January 29, 2012 and January 30, 2011 both consisted of 52 weeks. The fiscal year ended January 31, 2010 consisted of 53 weeks with the extra week occurring in the fourth quarter of the year.

Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Semtech Corporation and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated.

Segment Information

The Company operates and accounts for its results in one reportable segment. The Company designs, develops, manufactures and markets high performance analog and mixed signal integrated circuits. The Chief Executive Officer has been identified as the Chief Operating Decision Maker as defined by guidance regarding segment disclosures.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.