Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Balance Sheet Details - Property and Equipment (Detail)

v2.4.1.9
Balance Sheet Details - Property and Equipment (Detail) (USD $)
3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2013
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2014
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Property and equipment, Gross   $ 16,347,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross $ 27,734,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization   (10,836,000)us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment (15,293,000)us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment
Property and equipment, net   5,511,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet 12,441,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet
Production Mask Impairment Charge 1,100,000mxl_ProductionMaskImpairmentCharge 1,100,000mxl_ProductionMaskImpairmentCharge  
Furniture and fixtures [Member]      
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Useful life     5 years
Property and equipment, Gross   346,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_FurnitureAndFixturesMember
735,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_FurnitureAndFixturesMember
Machinery and equipment [Member]      
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Property and equipment, Gross   9,488,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_MachineryAndEquipmentMember
12,695,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_MachineryAndEquipmentMember
Machinery and equipment [Member] | Minimum [Member]      
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Useful life     3 years
Machinery and equipment [Member] | Maximum [Member]      
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Useful life     5 years
Masks and production equipment [Member]      
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Useful life     2 years
Property and equipment, Gross   4,764,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= mxl_MasksAndProductionEquipmentMember
8,672,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= mxl_MasksAndProductionEquipmentMember
Software [Member]      
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Useful life     3 years
Property and equipment, Gross   743,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ComputerSoftwareIntangibleAssetMember
905,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ComputerSoftwareIntangibleAssetMember
Leasehold improvements [Member]      
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Property and equipment, Gross   924,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LeaseholdImprovementsMember
4,451,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LeaseholdImprovementsMember
Leasehold improvements [Member] | Minimum [Member]      
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Useful life     4 years
Leasehold improvements [Member] | Maximum [Member]      
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Useful life     5 years
Construction in progress [Member]      
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Property and equipment, Gross   82,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConstructionInProgressMember
276,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConstructionInProgressMember
CALIFORNIA      
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]      
Incentive to Lessee     $ 2,000,000us-gaap_IncentiveToLessee
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= stpr_CA