<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0101</schemaVersion>

<documentType>5</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2003-03-31</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>1</notSubjectToSection16>

    <form3HoldingsReported>0</form3HoldingsReported>
    <form4TransactionsReported>0</form4TransactionsReported>
<issuer>        <issuerCik>0000711065</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>APPLIED MICRO CIRCUITS CORP</issuerName>
<issuerTradingSymbol>AMCC</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001184572</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>WINNER GREGORY</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
<reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>Sr VP Engineering</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <derivativeSecurity>
        <securityTitle>
            <value>Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
        </securityTitle>
        <conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <value>4.04</value>
        </conversionOrExercisePrice>
        <transactionDate>
            <value>2002-08-28</value>
        </transactionDate>
        <transactionCoding>
            <transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType>
            <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
            <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
        </transactionCoding>
        <transactionAmounts>
            <transactionShares>
                <value>150000</value>
            </transactionShares>
            <transactionValue>
                <value>0</value>
            </transactionValue>
            <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                <value>A</value>
            </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
        </transactionAmounts>
        <exerciseDate>
            <value>2003-08-28</value>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
        </exerciseDate>
        <expirationDate>
            <value>2012-08-28</value>
        </expirationDate>
        <underlyingSecurity>
            <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </underlyingSecurityTitle>
            <underlyingSecurityShares>
                <value>150000</value>
            </underlyingSecurityShares>
        </underlyingSecurity>
        <postTransactionAmounts>
            <valueOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                <value>150000</value>
            </valueOwnedFollowingTransaction>
        </postTransactionAmounts>
        <ownershipNature>
            <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <value>D</value>
            </directOrIndirectOwnership>
        </ownershipNature>
    </derivativeSecurity>

    <derivativeSecurity>
        <securityTitle>
            <value>Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
        </securityTitle>
        <conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <value>4.27</value>
        </conversionOrExercisePrice>
        <transactionDate>
            <value>2002-07-01</value>
        </transactionDate>
        <transactionCoding>
            <transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType>
            <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
            <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
        </transactionCoding>
        <transactionAmounts>
            <transactionShares>
                <value>50000</value>
            </transactionShares>
            <transactionValue>
                <value>0</value>
            </transactionValue>
            <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                <value>A</value>
            </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
        </transactionAmounts>
        <exerciseDate>
            <value>2002-08-01</value>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
        </exerciseDate>
        <expirationDate>
            <value>2012-07-01</value>
        </expirationDate>
        <underlyingSecurity>
            <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </underlyingSecurityTitle>
            <underlyingSecurityShares>
                <value>50000</value>
            </underlyingSecurityShares>
        </underlyingSecurity>
        <postTransactionAmounts>
            <valueOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                <value>50000</value>
            </valueOwnedFollowingTransaction>
        </postTransactionAmounts>
        <ownershipNature>
            <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <value>D</value>
            </directOrIndirectOwnership>
        </ownershipNature>
    </derivativeSecurity>

    <derivativeSecurity>
        <securityTitle>
            <value>Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
        </securityTitle>
        <conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <value>6.54</value>
        </conversionOrExercisePrice>
        <transactionDate>
            <value>2002-05-28</value>
        </transactionDate>
        <transactionCoding>
            <transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType>
            <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
            <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
        </transactionCoding>
        <transactionAmounts>
            <transactionShares>
                <value>60000</value>
            </transactionShares>
            <transactionValue>
                <value>0</value>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
            </transactionValue>
            <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                <value>A</value>
            </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
        </transactionAmounts>
        <exerciseDate>
            <value>2002-05-28</value>
                <footnoteId id="F4"/>
        </exerciseDate>
        <expirationDate>
            <value>2010-03-08</value>
        </expirationDate>
        <underlyingSecurity>
            <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </underlyingSecurityTitle>
            <underlyingSecurityShares>
                <value>60000</value>
            </underlyingSecurityShares>
        </underlyingSecurity>
        <postTransactionAmounts>
            <valueOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                <value>60000</value>
            </valueOwnedFollowingTransaction>
        </postTransactionAmounts>
        <ownershipNature>
            <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <value>D</value>
            </directOrIndirectOwnership>
        </ownershipNature>
    </derivativeSecurity>

    <derivativeSecurity>
        <securityTitle>
            <value>Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
        </securityTitle>
        <conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <value>6.54</value>
        </conversionOrExercisePrice>
        <transactionDate>
            <value>2002-05-28</value>
        </transactionDate>
        <transactionCoding>
            <transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType>
            <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
            <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
        </transactionCoding>
        <transactionAmounts>
            <transactionShares>
                <value>150000</value>
            </transactionShares>
            <transactionValue>
                <value>0</value>
                <footnoteId id="F5"/>
            </transactionValue>
            <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                <value>A</value>
            </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
        </transactionAmounts>
        <exerciseDate>
            <value>2002-05-28</value>
                <footnoteId id="F6"/>
        </exerciseDate>
        <expirationDate>
            <value>2010-12-21</value>
        </expirationDate>
        <underlyingSecurity>
            <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </underlyingSecurityTitle>
            <underlyingSecurityShares>
                <value>150000</value>
            </underlyingSecurityShares>
        </underlyingSecurity>
        <postTransactionAmounts>
            <valueOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                <value>150000</value>
            </valueOwnedFollowingTransaction>
        </postTransactionAmounts>
        <ownershipNature>
            <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <value>D</value>
            </directOrIndirectOwnership>
        </ownershipNature>
    </derivativeSecurity>

    <derivativeSecurity>
        <securityTitle>
            <value>Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
        </securityTitle>
        <conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <value>6.54</value>
        </conversionOrExercisePrice>
        <transactionDate>
            <value>2002-05-28</value>
        </transactionDate>
        <transactionCoding>
            <transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType>
            <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
            <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
        </transactionCoding>
        <transactionAmounts>
            <transactionShares>
                <value>150000</value>
            </transactionShares>
            <transactionValue>
                <value>0</value>
                <footnoteId id="F7"/>
            </transactionValue>
            <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                <value>A</value>
            </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
        </transactionAmounts>
        <exerciseDate>
            <value>2002-05-28</value>
                <footnoteId id="F8"/>
        </exerciseDate>
        <expirationDate>
            <value>2011-07-11</value>
        </expirationDate>
        <underlyingSecurity>
            <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </underlyingSecurityTitle>
            <underlyingSecurityShares>
                <value>150000</value>
            </underlyingSecurityShares>
        </underlyingSecurity>
        <postTransactionAmounts>
            <valueOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                <value>150000</value>
            </valueOwnedFollowingTransaction>
        </postTransactionAmounts>
        <ownershipNature>
            <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <value>D</value>
            </directOrIndirectOwnership>
        </ownershipNature>
    </derivativeSecurity>

    <derivativeSecurity>
        <securityTitle>
            <value>Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
        </securityTitle>
        <conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <value>6.54</value>
        </conversionOrExercisePrice>
        <transactionDate>
            <value>2002-05-28</value>
        </transactionDate>
        <transactionCoding>
            <transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType>
            <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
            <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
        </transactionCoding>
        <transactionAmounts>
            <transactionShares>
                <value>200000</value>
            </transactionShares>
            <transactionValue>
                <value>0</value>
            </transactionValue>
            <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                <value>A</value>
            </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
        </transactionAmounts>
        <exerciseDate>
            <value>2002-01-03</value>
                <footnoteId id="F9"/>
        </exerciseDate>
        <expirationDate>
            <value>2012-05-28</value>
        </expirationDate>
        <underlyingSecurity>
            <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </underlyingSecurityTitle>
            <underlyingSecurityShares>
                <value>200000</value>
            </underlyingSecurityShares>
        </underlyingSecurity>
        <postTransactionAmounts>
            <valueOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                <value>200000</value>
            </valueOwnedFollowingTransaction>
        </postTransactionAmounts>
        <ownershipNature>
            <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <value>D</value>
            </directOrIndirectOwnership>
        </ownershipNature>
    </derivativeSecurity>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Option vests as to 50% of the shares on August 28, 2003 and 1/24 per month thereafter.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Option vests in 48  monthly installments beginning on July 1, 2002.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">On November 27, 2001, the reporting person tendered to the issuer, for cancellation, an option granted to the reporting person on March 8, 2000.  In exchange, the reporting person received a replacement option on May 28, 2002.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">The option provides for vesting at 1/48 per month beginning on March 8, 2000.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F5">The reporting person contributed AMCC common stock to an exchange fund in exchange for shares of the exchange fund.  The AMCC common stock was valued at $147.875 per share for the purposes of determining the numberof shares of the exchange fund issuable to the reporting person.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F6">The option provides for vesting at 1/48 per month beginning on December 21, 2000.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F7">On November 27, 2001, the reporting person tendered to the issuer, for cancellation, an option granted to the reporting person on July 11, 2001.  In exchange, the reporting person received a replacement option on May 28, 2002.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F8">The option provides for vesting at 1/48 per month beginning on July 11, 2001.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F9">The option provides for vesting at 1/48 per month beginning on December 3, 2001.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>By: /s/ Jane Borneman  For: Greg A. Winner</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2003-05-09</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

</ownershipDocument>

