Note 10 - Litigation	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Legal Matters and Contingencies [Text Block]	10. Litigation The Company and certain of its subsidiaries are parties to actions and proceedings in the ordinary course of business, including litigation regarding its shareholders, a former employee and its intellectual property, challenges to the enforceability or validity of its intellectual property and claims that the Company’s products infringe on the intellectual property rights of others. These proceedings often involve complex questions of fact and law and may require the expenditure of significant funds and the diversion of other resources to prosecute and defend. The Company defends itself vigorously against any such claims. O2 Micro On May 3, 2012, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California issued an order finding O2 Micro International, Ltd. (“O2 Micro”) liable for approximately $9.1 million in attorneys’ fees and non-taxable costs, plus interest, in connection with the patent litigation that the Company won in 2010. This award is in addition to the approximately $0.3 million in taxable costs that the Court had earlier ordered O2 Micro to pay to the Company in connection with the same lawsuit. The Court then entered judgment for the Company. In October 2012, O2 Micro filed an appeal against this judgment. Silergy In December 2011, the Company entered into a settlement and license agreement with Silergy Corp and Silergy Technologies for infringement of the Company’s patent whereby the Company will receive a total of $2 million which will be paid in equal installments of $0.3 million in each quarter of 2012 and the remainder will be paid in two equal installments in first two quarters of 2013. For the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company received payments totaling $1.2 million, which were recorded as credits to litigation expense (benefit) in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Linear On August 12, 2012, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued an order affirming the judgment issued by the United States District Court for the District of Delaware finding Linear Technology Corporation (“Linear”) liable for approximately $2.3 million in attorneys’ fees and non-taxable costs, plus interest, in connection with the litigation regarding a contract dispute that the Company won in 2011. During the fourth quarter of 2012, the Company received a payment from Linear of $2.3 million plus $0.2 million reimbursement of additional attorney fees in connection with the cost of defending the appeal, which was recorded as a credit to litigation expense (benefit) in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Note 10 - Litigation

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Legal Matters and Contingencies [Text Block]

10. Litigation

The Company and certain of its subsidiaries are parties to actions and proceedings in the ordinary course of business, including litigation regarding its shareholders, a former employee and its intellectual property, challenges to the enforceability or validity of its intellectual property and claims that the Company’s products infringe on the intellectual property rights of others. These proceedings often involve complex questions of fact and law and may require the expenditure of significant funds and the diversion of other resources to prosecute and defend. The Company defends itself vigorously against any such claims.

O2 Micro

On May 3, 2012, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California issued an order finding O2 Micro International, Ltd. (“O2 Micro”) liable for approximately $9.1 million in attorneys’ fees and non-taxable costs, plus interest, in connection with the patent litigation that the Company won in 2010. This award is in addition to the approximately $0.3 million in taxable costs that the Court had earlier ordered O2 Micro to pay to the Company in connection with the same lawsuit. The Court then entered judgment for the Company. In October 2012, O2 Micro filed an appeal against this judgment.

Silergy

In December 2011, the Company entered into a settlement and license agreement with Silergy Corp and Silergy Technologies for infringement of the Company’s patent whereby the Company will receive a total of $2 million which will be paid in equal installments of $0.3 million in each quarter of 2012 and the remainder will be paid in two equal installments in first two quarters of 2013. For the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company received payments totaling $1.2 million, which were recorded as credits to litigation expense (benefit) in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Linear

On August 12, 2012, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued an order affirming the judgment issued by the United States District Court for the District of Delaware finding Linear Technology Corporation (“Linear”) liable for approximately $2.3 million in attorneys’ fees and non-taxable costs, plus interest, in connection with the litigation regarding a contract dispute that the Company won in 2011. During the fourth quarter of 2012, the Company received a payment from Linear of $2.3 million plus $0.2 million reimbursement of additional attorney fees in connection with the cost of defending the appeal, which was recorded as a credit to litigation expense (benefit) in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.