Noncontrolling Interest Transactions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
Noncontrolling Interest [Abstract]
Noncontrolling Interest Transactions	9. NONCONTROLLING INTEREST TRANSACTIONS On March 30, 2016, the Company acquired 100% ownership of certain operating assets and cash of its consolidated subsidiary, Converpower Corporation (“Converpower”), in which it held a 49% ownership interest. The operating assets and cash were acquired in exchange for the Company’s common shares representing that 49% interest and the aggregate dollar amount of royalty payments to be made by the Company to Converpower. The transaction was executed through a newly-formed, wholly-owned subsidiary, Granite Power Technologies, Inc. (“GPT”), the business operations of which had formerly existed as a division of Vicor Corporation. The shares of Converpower common stock held by the Company were contributed to GPT prior to the transaction. At the same time that it entered into the Asset Purchase Agreement associated with this transaction, the Company and Converpower entered into a license agreement providing the Company the right to continue manufacturing certain Converpower products in exchange for payment of royalties, quarterly through June 30, 2021, equal to a percentage of the revenue generated by the manufacture and sale of these products by GPT. The estimated present value of total future royalties, included in “Contingent consideration obligations” in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2016, is $167,000 (initially $208,000, as of March 31, 2016). Although the Company exchanged its shares representing its 49% equity interest in Converpower, it acquired 100% control of the business operations. Accordingly, this transaction was accounted for as an acquisition of a noncontrolling interest (i.e., an equity transaction). As such, the noncontrolling interest balance in equity associated with Converpower was reduced to zero, and the additional paid-in capital account was reduced by $208,000, the estimated present value of total future royalties as of March 31, 2016. As a result of the transactions associated with the consolidation of the Converpower operation into GPT, the Company’s aggregate balance of cash, short-term interest receivable, and long-term investments on its Consolidated Balance Sheet as of March 31, 2016, declined by approximately $718,000. No amounts were recorded in the Consolidated Statement of Operations related to these transactions. On December 28, 2015, the Company sold its 49% ownership interest in Aegis Power Systems, Inc. (“APS”) to the 51% noncontrolling interest holder for approximately $1,698,000. The amount of the proceeds approximated the Company’s share of the net equity of APS, resulting in a gain of approximately $28,000, which was recorded in Other income (expense), net in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations. As a result of the transaction, cash of approximately $2,090,000 and other net assets of approximately $1,317,000 of APS were fully deconsolidated from the Company’s consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2015. After the sale, APS operates independently from the Company, and may purchase the Company’s products going forward, on an arms-length basis. Also on December 28, 2015, the Company acquired the noncontrolling interest holder’s 18% ownership interest in Mission Power Solutions, Inc. (“MPS”) for approximately $216,000, which equaled the noncontrolling interest holder’s share of the net equity of MPS. This transaction was achieved through a statutory merger of MPS with and into an existing Vicor Custom Power wholly-owned subsidiary, Northwest Power, Inc. (“NPI”). In addition to the payment noted above, the selling principal will be eligible to receive quarterly royalty payments through June 30, 2021 equal to a percentage of the revenue generated by the sale of certain MPS legacy products to be manufactured by NPI going forward. The estimated obligation for total future royalties, recorded as Contingent consideration obligation in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets, was approximately $144,000 as of December 31, 2015. Royalty payments of approximately $58,000 were made during 2016. The acquisition of the noncontrolling interest holder’s 18% ownership interest was accounted for as an equity transaction, and therefore, the noncontrolling interest balance in equity for this subsidiary was reduced to zero. The excess of the acquisition amount, which is inclusive of the cash paid and the value of the contingent consideration obligation, over the noncontrolling interest balance in equity, was recorded as a charge to additional paid-in capital. The respective noncontrolling interest holders of APS, Converpower, and MPS served as key employees of each company prior to the transactions described above.

9. NONCONTROLLING INTEREST TRANSACTIONS

On March 30, 2016, the Company acquired 100% ownership of certain operating assets and cash of its consolidated subsidiary, Converpower Corporation (“Converpower”), in which it held a 49% ownership interest. The operating assets and cash were acquired in exchange for the Company’s common shares representing that 49% interest and the aggregate dollar amount of royalty payments to be made by the Company to Converpower. The transaction was executed through a newly-formed, wholly-owned subsidiary, Granite Power Technologies, Inc. (“GPT”), the business operations of which had formerly existed as a division of Vicor Corporation. The shares of Converpower common stock held by the Company were contributed to GPT prior to the transaction. At the same time that it entered into the Asset Purchase Agreement associated with this transaction, the Company and Converpower entered into a license agreement providing the Company the right to continue manufacturing certain Converpower products in exchange for payment of royalties, quarterly through June 30, 2021, equal to a percentage of the revenue generated by the manufacture and sale of these products by GPT. The estimated present value of total future royalties, included in “Contingent consideration obligations” in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2016, is $167,000 (initially $208,000, as of March 31, 2016). Although the Company exchanged its shares representing its 49% equity interest in Converpower, it acquired 100% control of the business operations. Accordingly, this transaction was accounted for as an acquisition of a noncontrolling interest (i.e., an equity transaction). As such, the noncontrolling interest balance in equity associated with Converpower was reduced to zero, and the additional paid-in capital account was reduced by $208,000, the estimated present value of total future royalties as of March 31, 2016. As a result of the transactions associated with the consolidation of the Converpower operation into GPT, the Company’s aggregate balance of cash, short-term interest receivable, and long-term investments on its Consolidated Balance Sheet as of March 31, 2016, declined by approximately $718,000. No amounts were recorded in the Consolidated Statement of Operations related to these transactions.

On December 28, 2015, the Company sold its 49% ownership interest in Aegis Power Systems, Inc. (“APS”) to the 51% noncontrolling interest holder for approximately $1,698,000. The amount of the proceeds approximated the Company’s share of the net equity of APS, resulting in a gain of approximately $28,000, which was recorded in Other income (expense), net in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations. As a result of the transaction, cash of approximately $2,090,000 and other net assets of approximately $1,317,000 of APS were fully deconsolidated from the Company’s consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2015. After the sale, APS operates independently from the Company, and may purchase the Company’s products going forward, on an arms-length basis.

Also on December 28, 2015, the Company acquired the noncontrolling interest holder’s 18% ownership interest in Mission Power Solutions, Inc. (“MPS”) for approximately $216,000, which equaled the noncontrolling interest holder’s share of the net equity of MPS. This transaction was achieved through a statutory merger of MPS with and into an existing Vicor Custom Power wholly-owned subsidiary, Northwest Power, Inc. (“NPI”). In addition to the payment noted above, the selling principal will be eligible to receive quarterly royalty payments through June 30, 2021 equal to a percentage of the revenue generated by the sale of certain MPS legacy products to be manufactured by NPI going forward. The estimated obligation for total future royalties, recorded as Contingent consideration obligation in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets, was approximately $144,000 as of December 31, 2015. Royalty payments of approximately $58,000 were made during 2016. The acquisition of the noncontrolling interest holder’s 18% ownership interest was accounted for as an equity transaction, and therefore, the noncontrolling interest balance in equity for this subsidiary was reduced to zero. The excess of the acquisition amount, which is inclusive of the cash paid and the value of the contingent consideration obligation, over the noncontrolling interest balance in equity, was recorded as a charge to additional paid-in capital.

The respective noncontrolling interest holders of APS, Converpower, and MPS served as key employees of each company prior to the transactions described above.