| Balance Sheet Details - Property and Equipment (Detail) (USD $)In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
 | 3 Months Ended |  | 
      
        | Mar. 31, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2014 | 
      
        | Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] |  |  | 
      
        | Property and equipment, Gross | $ 28,005us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross | $ 27,734us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross | 
      
        | Less accumulated depreciation and amortization | (16,741)us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment | (15,293)us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment | 
      
        | Property and equipment, net | 11,264us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet | 12,441us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet | 
      
        | Furniture and fixtures [Member] |  |  | 
      
        | Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] |  |  | 
      
        | Useful life | 5 years |  | 
      
        | Property and equipment, Gross | 757us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross / us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
 = us-gaap_FurnitureAndFixturesMember
 | 735us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross / us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
 = us-gaap_FurnitureAndFixturesMember
 | 
      
        | Machinery and equipment [Member] |  |  | 
      
        | Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] |  |  | 
      
        | Property and equipment, Gross | 12,864us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross / us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
 = us-gaap_MachineryAndEquipmentMember
 | 12,695us-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 | 8,672us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross / us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
 = mxl_MasksAndProductionEquipmentMember
 | 8,672us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross / us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
 = mxl_MasksAndProductionEquipmentMember
 | 
      
        | Software [Member] |  |  | 
      
        | Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] |  |  | 
      
        | Useful life | 3 years |  | 
      
        | Property and equipment, Gross | 1,193us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross / us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
 = us-gaap_ComputerSoftwareIntangibleAssetMember
 | 905us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross / us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
 = us-gaap_ComputerSoftwareIntangibleAssetMember
 | 
      
        | Leasehold improvements [Member] |  |  | 
      
        | Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] |  |  | 
      
        | Property and equipment, Gross | 4,451us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross / us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
 = us-gaap_LeaseholdImprovementsMember
 | 4,451us-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 | $ 68us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross / us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
 = us-gaap_ConstructionInProgressMember
 | $ 276us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross / us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
 = us-gaap_ConstructionInProgressMember
 |