NON-CONTROLLING EQUITY INVESTMENTS	12 Months Ended
NON-CONTROLLING EQUITY INVESTMENTS	Feb. 29, 2012
NON-CONTROLLING EQUITY INVESTMENTS [Abstract]
NON-CONTROLLING EQUITY INVESTMENTS	5. NON-CONTROLLING EQUITY INVESTMENTS Eqcologic On November 23, 2010, SMSC invested $2.0 million in EqcoLogic, N.V. (“EqcoLogic”), a Belgian corporation based in Brussels, Belgium. EqcoLogic is a developmental-stage company in the field of high speed and bidirectional data transmission. SMSC holds approximately 18.0 percent of the total outstanding equity of EqcoLogic on a fully diluted basis. Canesta During fiscal 2010, SMSC invested $2.0 in Canesta, a privately held developer of three-dimensional motion sensing systems and devices. Canesta entered into an asset purchase agreement with Microsoft, pursuant to which Microsoft acquired substantially all of the assets of Canesta. On November 30, 2010, SMSC received $2.2 million in cash and an additional $0.1 million on January 27, 2011 from Canesta pursuant to its asset purchase agreement with Microsoft (approximately $0.8 million in additional distributions will be held in escrow for 12 months or until all of the obligations of Canesta have been satisfied). As a result, the Company recorded a gain of $0.3 million in fiscal 2011. Symwave SMSC made an initial $5.2 million equity investment in Symwave in fiscal 2010, resulting in an equity stake of approximately14 percent. On November 12, 2010 the Company completed its acquisition of Symwave (see Note 4 - Business Combinations).

The entire disclosure for investments accounted for under the cost-method. The carrying amount of such investments may be adjusted, for example, distributions in excess of cost (return of capital) or for other-than-temporary impairments. The cost method and lower-of-cost or market, an adaptation of the cost method, is generally followed for most investments in noncontrolled corporations, in some corporate joint ventures, and to a lesser extent in unconsolidated subsidiaries in which the entity does not have the ability to exercise significant influence.

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