THE COMPANY AND ITS SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES	9 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
THE COMPANY AND ITS SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES	THE COMPANY AND ITS SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Description of Business Vitesse Semiconductor Corporation (“Vitesse,” the “Company,” “us,” or “we”) is a leading supplier of high-performance integrated circuits (“ICs”) that are used primarily by manufacturers of networking systems for Carrier, Enterprise and Internet of Things (“IoT”) networking applications. Vitesse designs, develops and markets a diverse portfolio of high-performance, low-power and cost-competitive semiconductor products for these applications. Vitesse was incorporated in the state of Delaware in 1987. Our headquarters are located at 4721 Calle Carga, Camarillo, California, and our phone number is (805) 388-3700. Our stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Market under the ticker symbol VTSS. Fiscal Year Our fiscal year is October 1 through September 30. Basis of Presentation The interim unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Form 10-Q and Article 10 of SEC Regulation S-X. They do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. The September 30, 2013 balance sheet data was derived from audited consolidated financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required for annual periods. Therefore, these financial statements should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended September 30, 2013, included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on December 5, 2013. The consolidated financial statements included herein are unaudited. However, they contain all normal recurring accruals and adjustments that, in the opinion of management, are necessary to present fairly our consolidated financial position, the consolidated results of our operations and the consolidated cash flows and the changes in our stockholders’ equity. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2014 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for future quarters or the full year. Reclassifications Certain reclassifications have been made to prior fiscal year amounts and related footnotes to conform to current fiscal year presentation with no changes to stockholders’ equity amounts or net loss for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2013. Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and disclosures made in the accompanying notes to the unaudited consolidated financial statements. Management regularly evaluates estimates and assumptions related to revenue recognition, allowances for doubtful accounts, warranty reserves, inventory valuation reserves, stock-based compensation, compound embedded derivative valuation, purchased intangible asset valuations and useful lives, asset retirement obligations, and deferred income tax asset valuation allowances. These estimates and assumptions are based on current facts, historical experience and various other factors that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The actual results we experience may differ materially and adversely from our original estimates. To the extent there are material differences between the estimates and the actual results, our future results of operations will be affected. Risks and Uncertainties Our future results of operations involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could affect our business or future results and cause actual results to vary materially from historical results include, but are not limited to, the highly cyclical nature of the semiconductor industry; our high fixed costs; declines in average selling prices; decisions by our IC manufacturer customers to curtail outsourcing; our substantial indebtedness; our ability to fund liquidity needs; our failure to maintain an effective system of internal controls; product return and liability risks; the absence of significant backlog in our business; our dependence on international operations and sales; proposed changes to United States tax laws; that our management information systems may prove inadequate; our ability to attract and retain qualified employees; difficulties consolidating and evolving our operational capabilities; our dependence on materials and equipment suppliers; our loss of customers; adverse tax consequences; the development of new proprietary technology and the enforcement of intellectual property rights by or against us; the complexity of packaging and test processes in our industry; competition; our need to comply with existing and future environmental regulations; and fire, flood or other calamity affecting us or others with whom we do business. Recent Accounting Pronouncements In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which supersedes nearly all existing revenue recognition guidance under U.S. GAAP. The core principle of ASU 2014-09 is to recognize revenues when promised goods or services are transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which an entity expects to be entitled for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 defines a five step process to achieve this core principle and, in doing so, more judgment and estimates may be required within the revenue recognition process than are required under existing U.S. GAAP. The standard is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods therein, using either of the following transition methods: (i) a full retrospective approach reflecting the application of the standard in each prior reporting period with the option to elect certain practical expedients, or (ii) a retrospective approach with the cumulative effect of initially adopting ASU 2014-09 recognized at the date of adoption (which includes additional footnote disclosures). We are currently evaluating the impact of our pending adoption of ASU 2014-09 on our consolidated financial statements and have not yet determined the method by which we will adopt the standard in 2017. In July 2013, the FASB issued ASU 2013-11, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Presentation of Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, A Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists (A Consensus the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force). ASU 2013-11 provides guidance on financial statement presentation of unrecognized tax benefit when a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward exists. The FASB’s objective in issuing this ASU is to eliminate diversity in practice resulting from a lack of guidance on this topic in current U.S. GAAP. This ASU applies to all entities with unrecognized tax benefits that also have tax loss or tax credit carryforwards in the same tax jurisdiction as of the reporting date. This amendment is effective for public entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2013, and interim periods within those years. We do not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on our unaudited consolidated financial position and results of operations.

THE COMPANY AND ITS SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Description of Business

Vitesse Semiconductor Corporation (“Vitesse,” the “Company,” “us,” or “we”) is a leading supplier of high-performance integrated circuits (“ICs”) that are used primarily by manufacturers of networking systems for Carrier, Enterprise and Internet of Things (“IoT”) networking applications. Vitesse designs, develops and markets a diverse portfolio of high-performance, low-power and cost-competitive semiconductor products for these applications.

Vitesse was incorporated in the state of Delaware in 1987. Our headquarters are located at 4721 Calle Carga, Camarillo, California, and our phone number is (805) 388-3700. Our stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Market under the ticker symbol VTSS.

Fiscal Year

Our fiscal year is October 1 through September 30.

Basis of Presentation

The interim unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Form 10-Q and Article 10 of SEC Regulation S-X. They do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. The September 30, 2013 balance sheet data was derived from audited consolidated financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required for annual periods. Therefore, these financial statements should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended September 30, 2013, included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on December 5, 2013.

The consolidated financial statements included herein are unaudited. However, they contain all normal recurring accruals and adjustments that, in the opinion of management, are necessary to present fairly our consolidated financial position, the consolidated results of our operations and the consolidated cash flows and the changes in our stockholders’ equity. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2014 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for future quarters or the full year.

Reclassifications

Certain reclassifications have been made to prior fiscal year amounts and related footnotes to conform to current fiscal year presentation with no changes to stockholders’ equity amounts or net loss for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2013.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and disclosures made in the accompanying notes to the unaudited consolidated financial statements. Management regularly evaluates estimates and assumptions related to revenue recognition, allowances for doubtful accounts, warranty reserves, inventory valuation reserves, stock-based compensation, compound embedded derivative valuation, purchased intangible asset valuations and useful lives, asset retirement obligations, and deferred income tax asset valuation allowances. These estimates and assumptions are based on current facts, historical experience and various other factors that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The actual results we experience may differ materially and adversely from our original estimates. To the extent there are material differences between the estimates and the actual results, our future results of operations will be affected.

Risks and Uncertainties

Our future results of operations involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could affect our business or future results and cause actual results to vary materially from historical results include, but are not limited to, the highly cyclical nature of the semiconductor industry; our high fixed costs; declines in average selling prices; decisions by our IC manufacturer customers to curtail outsourcing; our substantial indebtedness; our ability to fund liquidity needs; our failure to maintain an effective system of internal controls; product return and liability risks; the absence of significant backlog in our business; our dependence on international operations and sales; proposed changes to United States tax laws; that our management information systems may prove inadequate; our ability to attract and retain qualified employees; difficulties consolidating and evolving our operational capabilities; our dependence on materials and equipment suppliers; our loss of customers; adverse tax consequences; the development of new proprietary technology and the enforcement of intellectual property rights by or against us; the complexity of packaging and test processes in our industry; competition; our need to comply with existing and future environmental regulations; and fire, flood or other calamity affecting us or others with whom we do business.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which supersedes nearly all existing revenue recognition guidance under U.S. GAAP. The core principle of ASU 2014-09 is to recognize revenues when promised goods or services are transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which an entity expects to be entitled for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 defines a five step process to achieve this core principle and, in doing so, more judgment and estimates may be required within the revenue recognition process than are required under existing U.S. GAAP. The standard is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods therein, using either of the following transition methods: (i) a full retrospective approach reflecting the application of the standard in each prior reporting period with the option to elect certain practical expedients, or (ii) a retrospective approach with the cumulative effect of initially adopting ASU 2014-09 recognized at the date of adoption (which includes additional footnote disclosures). We are currently evaluating the impact of our pending adoption of ASU 2014-09 on our consolidated financial statements and have not yet determined the method by which we will adopt the standard in 2017.

In July 2013, the FASB issued ASU 2013-11, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Presentation of Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, A Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists (A Consensus the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force). ASU 2013-11 provides guidance on financial statement presentation of unrecognized tax benefit when a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward exists. The FASB’s objective in issuing this ASU is to eliminate diversity in practice resulting from a lack of guidance on this topic in current U.S. GAAP. This ASU applies to all entities with unrecognized tax benefits that also have tax loss or tax credit carryforwards in the same tax jurisdiction as of the reporting date. This amendment is effective for public entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2013, and interim periods within those years. We do not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on our unaudited consolidated financial position and results of operations.