Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail)

v2.4.1.9
Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Dec. 31, 2011
Income Tax [Line Items]        
Stock-based compensation $ 15,008,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation $ 12,986,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation $ 9,984,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation  
Federal tax credit carryforward expiration date 12/31/2024      
Federal alternative minimum tax credit carryforward 200,000mxl_FederalAlternativeMinimumTaxCreditCarryforward      
Deferred tax assets, valuation allowance, noncurrent       6,700,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowanceNoncurrent
Valuation Allowance, Deferred Tax Asset, Increase (Decrease), Amount (3,087,000)us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount (6,385,000)us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount (6,214,000)us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount  
Valuation allowance release due to acquisition 2,335,000mxl_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetReleaseduetoAcquisitionamount 0mxl_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetReleaseduetoAcquisitionamount 0mxl_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetReleaseduetoAcquisitionamount  
Unrecognized tax benefits 10,808,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits 5,462,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits 3,750,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits 3,020,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits
Unrecognized tax benefits that would impact effective tax rate 8,900,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate      
Taxable income adjustment from tax examination   0mxl_TaxableIncomeAdjustmentFromTaxExamination    
Income tax penalties and interest accrued 100,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued      
Federal Tax        
Income Tax [Line Items]        
Operating Loss Carryforwards 36,200,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember 		     
Stock-based compensation 11,700,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember 		     
Operating loss carryforwards, expiration dates Dec. 31, 2026      
Tax credit carryforward, amount 10,400,000us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember 		     
State Tax        
Income Tax [Line Items]        
Operating Loss Carryforwards 31,000,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember 		     
Stock-based compensation 3,800,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember 		     
Operating loss carryforwards, expiration dates Dec. 31, 2018      
Tax credit carryforward, amount 11,000,000us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember 		     
Physpeed [Member]        
Income Tax [Line Items]        
Valuation allowance release due to acquisition 2,300,000mxl_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetReleaseduetoAcquisitionamount
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= mxl_PhyspeedMember 		     
Physpeed [Member] | Federal Tax        
Income Tax [Line Items]        
Operating Loss Carryforwards $ 3,900,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= mxl_PhyspeedMember
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember