Nature of Operations and Significant Accounting Policies | Nature of Operations and Significant Accounting Policies Nature of Operations Lattice Semiconductor (“Lattice,” the “Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is a Delaware company that develops semiconductor technologies that we monetize through products, solutions, and licenses. We engage in smart connectivity solutions, providing intellectual property ("IP") and low-power, small form-factor devices that enable global customers to quickly and easily develop innovative, smart, and connected products. Our broad end-market exposure extends from mobile devices and consumer electronics to industrial and automotive equipment, communications and computing infrastructure, and licensing. We do not manufacture our own silicon wafers. We maintain strategic relationships with large, established semiconductor foundries located in Asia to source our finished silicon wafers. In addition, all of our assembly operations and most of our test and logistics operations are performed by outside suppliers located in Asia. We perform certain test operations and reliability and quality assurance processes internally. We place substantial emphasis on new product development and believe that continued investment in this area is required to maintain and improve our competitive position. Our product development activities emphasize new proprietary products, advanced packaging, enhancement of existing products and process technologies, and improvement of software development tools. Research and development activities occur primarily in: Hillsboro, Oregon; San Jose, California; Shanghai, China; and Muntinlupa City, Philippines. Fiscal Reporting Period We report based on a 52 or 53-week fiscal year ending on the Saturday closest to December 31. Our fiscal 2017, 2016, and 2015 were 52-week years that ended December 30, 2017 , December 31, 2016 , and January 2, 2016 respectively. Our fiscal 2018 will be a 52-week year and will end on December 29, 2018 . All references to quarterly or yearly financial results are references to the results for the relevant fiscal period. Principles of Consolidation The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of Lattice and its subsidiaries after the elimination of all intercompany balances and transactions. Reclassifications Certain amounts in prior fiscal years in the accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes thereto have been reclassified to conform to the presentation adopted in the current fiscal year. These reclassifications had no material effect on the results of operations or financial position for any period presented. We had previously treated an investment as an equity-method investment and reported equity in net loss of an unconsolidated affiliate separately, amounting to approximately $1.5 million and $0.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2016 and January 2, 2016, respectively. We have reclassified the prior year losses to Other (expense) income, net on our Consolidated Statements of Income to be consistent with the current year treatment of the investment as a cost-method investment. Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP") requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts and classification of assets, such as marketable securities, accounts receivable, inventory, goodwill (including the assessment of reporting unit), intangible assets, current and deferred income taxes, accrued liabilities (including restructuring charges and bonus arrangements), deferred income and allowances on sales to sell-through distributors, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, amounts used in acquisition valuations and purchase accounting, impairment assessments, and the reported amounts of product revenue, licensing and services revenue, and expenses during the fiscal periods presented. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Cash Equivalents and Marketable Securities We consider all investments that are readily convertible into cash and that have original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents consist primarily of highly liquid investments in time deposits or money market accounts and are carried at cost. We account for marketable securities as available-for-sale investments, as defined by U.S. GAAP, and record unrealized gains or losses to Accumulated other comprehensive loss on our Consolidated Balance Sheets, unless losses are considered other than temporary, in which case, those are recorded directly to the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss. Deposits with financial institutions at times exceed Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insurance limits. Fair Value of Financial Instruments We invest in various financial instruments, which may include corporate and government bonds, notes, and commercial paper. We value these instruments at their fair value and monitor our portfolio for impairment on a periodic basis. In the event that the carrying value of an investment exceeds its fair value and the decline in value is determined to be other than temporary, we would record an impairment charge and establish a new carrying value. We assess other-than-temporary impairment of marketable securities in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 820, “ Fair Value Measurements .” The framework under the provisions of ASC 820 establishes three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value. Each level of input has different levels of subjectivity and difficulty involved in determining fair value. Level 1 instruments generally represent quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets. Therefore, determining fair value for Level 1 instruments generally does not require significant management judgment, and the estimation is not difficult. Our Level 1 instruments consist of U.S. Government agency obligations, corporate notes and bonds, and commercial paper that are traded in active markets and are classified as Short-term marketable securities on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Level 2 instruments include inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices for identical instruments in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities. Our Level 2 instruments consist of certificates of deposit and foreign currency exchange contracts, entered into to hedge against fluctuation in the Japanese yen. Level 3 instruments include unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities. As a result, the determination of fair value for Level 3 instruments requires significant management judgment and subjectivity. We did not have any Level 3 instruments during the periods presented. Foreign Exchange and Translation of Foreign Currencies While our revenues and the majority of our expenses are denominated in U.S. dollars, we have international subsidiary and branch operations that conduct some transactions in foreign currencies, and we collect an annual Japanese consumption tax refund in yen. Gains or losses from foreign exchange rate fluctuations on balances denominated in foreign currencies are reflected in Other (expense) income, net . Realized gains or losses on foreign currency transactions were not significant for the periods presented. We translate accounts denominated in foreign currencies in accordance with ASC 830, “ Foreign Currency Matters ,” using the current rate method under which asset and liability accounts are translated at the current rate, while stockholders' equity accounts are translated at the appropriate historical rates, and revenue and expense accounts are translated at average monthly exchange rates. Translation adjustments related to the consolidation of foreign subsidiary financial statements are reflected in Accumulated other comprehensive loss in Stockholders' equity (See our Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity ). Derivative Financial Instruments We mitigate foreign currency exchange rate risk by entering into foreign currency forward exchange contracts, details of which are presented in the following table: December 30, 2017 December 31, 2016 Total cost of contracts for Japanese yen (in thousands) $ 2,204 $ 2,323 Number of contracts 2 2 Settlement month June 2018 June 2017 Although these hedges mitigate our foreign currency exchange rate exposure from an economic perspective, they were not designated as "effective" hedges under U.S. GAAP and as such are adjusted to fair value through Other (expense) income, net , with gains of approximately $0.1 million and approximately $0.2 million , respectively, for the years ended December 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 . We do not hold or issue derivative financial instruments for trading or speculative purposes. Concentration Risk Potential exposure to concentration risk may impact revenue, trade receivables, marketable securities, and supply of wafers for our new products. Customer concentration risk may impact revenue. The percentage of total revenue attributable to our top five end customers and largest end customer is presented in the following table: Year Ended December 30, December 31, January 2, Revenue attributable to top five end customers 26 % 27 % 32 % Revenue attributable to largest end customer 7.3 % 9.9 % 9.3 % No end customer accounted for more than 10% of total revenue during these periods. Sales through distributors have historically accounted for a significant portion of our total revenue. Revenue attributable to resale of products by sell-through distributors as a percentage of total revenue is presented in the following table: Year Ended December 30, December 31, January 2, Revenue attributable to sell-through distributors 66 % 61 % 45 % Our largest distributor groups also account for a substantial portion of our trade receivables. At December 30, 2017 , one distributor group accounted for 54% of gross trade receivables. At December 31, 2016 , two distributor groups accounted for 38% and 24% , respectively, of gross trade receivables. No other distributor group or end customer accounted for more than 10% of gross trade receivables at these dates. Concentration of credit risk with respect to trade receivables is mitigated by our credit and collection process including active management of collections, credit limits, routine credit evaluations for essentially all customers, and secure transactions with letters of credit or advance payments where appropriate. We regularly review our allowance for doubtful accounts and the aging of our accounts receivable. Accounts receivable do not bear interest and are shown net of allowances for doubtful accounts of $9.4 million and $9.3 million at December 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 , respectively. The allowance for doubtful accounts reflects our best estimate of probable losses inherent in the accounts receivable balance. We determine the allowance based on assessment of known troubled accounts, analysis of the aging of our accounts receivable, historical experience, management judgment, and other currently available evidence. We write off accounts receivable against the allowance when we determine a balance is uncollectible and no longer actively pursue collection of the receivable. The amounts of accounts receivable written off were insignificant for all periods presented. Bad debt expense was negligible for fiscal 2017. During fiscal 2016, we recorded a full allowance on our accounts receivable, net of deferred revenue, from a bankrupt distributor group resulting in an increase in allowance for doubtful accounts of $9.0 million and bad debt expense of $7.5 million in that year. We place our investments primarily through one financial institution and mitigate the concentration of credit risk by limiting the maximum portion of the investment portfolio which may be invested in any one instrument. Our investment policy defines approved credit ratings for investment securities. Investments on-hand in marketable securities consisted primarily of money market instruments, “AA” or better corporate notes and bonds and commercial paper, and U.S. government agency obligations. See Note 3 for a discussion of the liquidity attributes of our marketable securities. We rely on a limited number of foundries for our wafer purchases including Fujitsu Limited, Seiko Epson Corporation, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd, and United Microelectronics Corporation. We seek to mitigate the concentration of supply risk by establishing, maintaining and managing multiple foundry relationships; however, certain of our products are sourced from a single foundry and changing from one foundry to another can have a significant cost. Revenue Recognition and Deferred Income The following describes our revenue recognition policy during fiscal 2017. In fiscal 2018, we will adopt ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). S ee "New Accounting Pronouncements" later in this Note 1 for a discussion of the impact of adoption on our revenue recognition. Product Revenue We sell our products though several channels: directly to end customers, through a network of independent manufacturers' representatives, and indirectly through a network of independent sell-in and sell-through distributors. Distributors provide periodic data regarding the product, price, quantity, and end customer when products are resold, as well as the quantities of our products they still have in stock. Revenue from sales to original equipment manufacturers ("OEMs") and sell-in distributors is generally recognized upon shipment. Reserves for sell-in stock rotations, where applicable, are estimated based primarily on historical experience and provided for at the time of shipment. Revenue from sales by our sell-through distributors is recognized at the time of reported resale. Under both types of revenue recognition, persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, the price is fixed or determinable, title has transferred, collection of resulting receivables is reasonably assured, and there are no remaining customer acceptance requirements and no remaining significant performance obligations. Orders from our sell-through distributors are initially recorded at published list prices; however, for a majority of our sales, the final selling price is determined at the time of resale and in accordance with a distributor price agreement. For this reason, we do not recognize revenue until products are resold by sell-through distributors to an end customer. In certain circumstances, we allow sell-through distributors to return unsold products. At times, we protect our sell-through distributors against reductions in published list prices. At the time of shipment to sell-through distributors, we (a) record accounts receivable at published list price since there is a legally enforceable obligation from the distributor to pay us currently for product delivered, (b) relieve inventory for the carrying value of goods shipped since legal title has passed to the distributor, and (c) record deferred revenue and deferred cost of sales in Deferred income and allowances on sales to sell-through distributors in the liability section of our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Revenue and cost of sales to sell-through distributors are deferred until either the product is resold by the distributor or, in certain cases, return privileges terminate, at which time Revenue and Cost of product revenue are reflected in Net loss in our Consolidated Statements of Operations, and Accounts receivable, net is adjusted to reflect the final selling price. The components of Deferred income and allowances on sales to sell-through distributors are presented in the following table: (In thousands) December 30, 2017 December 31, 2016 Inventory valued at published list price and held by sell-through distributors with right of return $ 74,788 $ 86,218 Allowance for distributor advances (44,990 ) (37,090 ) Deferred cost of sales related to inventory held by sell-through distributors (12,548 ) (16,871 ) Total Deferred income and allowances on sales to sell-through distributors $ 17,250 $ 32,257 Licensing and Services Revenue Our licensing and services revenue is comprised of revenue from our intellectual property ("IP") core licensing activity, patent monetization activities, and royalty and adopter fee revenue from our standards activities. These activities are complementary to our product sales and help us monetize our IP and accelerate market adoption curves associated with our technology and standards. From time to time we enter into patent sale and licensing agreements to monetize and license a broad portfolio of our patented inventions. Such licensing agreements may include upfront license fees and ongoing royalties. The contractual terms of the agreements generally provide for payments of upfront license fees and/or royalties over an extended period of time. Revenue from such license fees is recognized when payments become due and payable as long as all other revenue recognition criteria are met, while revenue from royalties is recognized when reported to us by customers. We enter into IP licensing agreements that generally provide licensees the right to incorporate our IP components into their products pursuant to terms and conditions that vary by licensee. Revenue earned under these agreements is classified as Licensing and services revenue. Our IP licensing agreements generally include multiple elements, which may include one or more off-the-shelf or customized IP licenses bundled with support services covering a fixed period of time, generally one year. If the different elements of a multiple-element arrangement qualify as separate units of accounting, we allocate the total arrangement consideration to each element based on relative selling price. Amounts allocated to off-the-shelf IP licenses are recognized at the time of sale provided the other conditions for revenue recognition have been met. Amounts allocated to the support services are deferred and recognized on a straight-line basis over the support period, generally one year. Certain licensing agreements provide for royalty payments based on agreed-upon royalty rates, which may be fixed or variable depending on the terms of the agreement. The amount of revenue we recognize is based on a specified time period or on the agreed-upon royalty rate multiplied by the reported number of units shipped by the customer. From time to time, we enter into IP licensing agreements that involve significant modification, customization or engineering services. Revenues derived from these contracts are accounted for using the percentage-of-completion method or completed contract method. The completed contract method is used for contracts where there is a risk associated with final acceptance by the customer or for short-term contracts. HDMI royalty revenue is determined by a contractual allocation formula agreed to by the Founders of the HDMI consortium. The contractual allocation formula is subject to periodic adjustment, generally every three years. The most recent agreement expired on December 31, 2016 and a new agreement has not yet been entered into covering the period beginning January 1, 2017. As a result, the HDMI agent is unable to distribute the majority of the royalties collected to the Founders and, given that the fixed and determinable revenue recognition criteria has not been met, we are unable to recognize all of the HDMI royalty revenue for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2017. Our estimate of unbilled receivables from the HDMI agent that are not reflected in our financial statements at December 30, 2017 are in the $5 million to $10 million range. We acted as the agent of the HDMI consortium until December 31, 2016. From time to time, as the agent, we performed audits on royalty reporting customers to ensure compliance. As a result of those compliance efforts, we entered into settlement agreements for the payment of unreported royalties. The contractual terms of those agreements provided for upfront payment of unreported royalties or payment over a period of time, generally not to exceed one year. Revenue from those arrangements was recognized when the agreement was executed by both parties, as long as price was fixed and determinable and collection was reasonably assured. Inventories and Cost of Product Revenue Inventories are recorded at the lower of average cost determined on a first-in-first-out basis or market. We establish provisions for inventory if it is obsolete or we hold quantities which are in excess of projected customer demand. The creation of such provisions results in a write-down of inventory to net realizable value and a charge to Cost of product revenue. Shipping and handling costs are included in Cost of product revenue in our Consolidated Statements of Operations. Property and Equipment Property and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation and amortization are computed using the straight-line method for financial reporting purposes over the estimated useful lives of the related assets, generally three to five years for equipment and software, one to three years for tooling, and thirty years for buildings and building space. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the non-cancelable lease term or the estimated useful life of the assets. Upon disposal of property and equipment, the accounts are relieved of the costs and related accumulated depreciation and amortization, and resulting gains or losses are reflected in the Consolidated Statements of Operations for recognized gains and losses, or in the Consolidated Balance Sheets for deferred gains and losses. Repair and maintenance costs are expensed as incurred. Variable Interest Entities and Equity Investments in Privately Held Companies We have an interest in an entity that is a Variable Interest Entity ("VIE"). If we are the primary beneficiary of a VIE, we are required to consolidate it. To determine if we are the primary beneficiary, we evaluate whether we have the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the VIE's economic performance and the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits of the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE. Our evaluation includes identification of significant activities and an assessment of our ability to direct those activities based on governance provisions and arrangements to provide or receive product and process technology, product supply, operations services, equity funding, financing, and other applicable agreements and circumstances. Our assessments of whether we are the primary beneficiary of our VIE requires significant assumptions and judgments. We have concluded that we are not the primary beneficiary of this VIE as we do not have the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the VIE's economic performance. Equity investments in privately held companies that we are not required to consolidate are accounted for under the cost method, as assessed under ASC 325-20, " Cost Method Investments ." These investments are reviewed on a quarterly basis to determine if their values have been impaired and adjustments are recorded as necessary. We assess the potential impairment of these investments by applying a fair value analysis using a revenue multiple approach. Declines in value that are judged to be other-than-temporary are reported in Other (expense) income, net in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations with a commensurate decrease in the carrying value of the investment (see Note 10). Upon disposition of these investments, the specific identification method is used to determine the cost basis in computing realized gains or losses. Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Long-lived assets, including amortizable intangible assets, are carried on our financial statements based on their cost less accumulated depreciation or amortization. We monitor the carrying value of our long-lived assets for potential impairment and test the recoverability of such assets annually during the fourth quarter and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying amounts may not be recoverable. These events or changes in circumstances, including management decisions pertaining to such assets, are referred to as impairment indicators. If an impairment indicator occurs, we perform a test of recoverability by comparing the carrying value of the asset group to its undiscounted expected future cash flows. If the carrying values are in excess of undiscounted expected future cash flows, we measure any impairment by comparing the fair value of the asset group to its carrying value. Fair value is generally determined by considering (i) internally developed discounted projected cash flow analysis of the asset group; (ii) actual third-party valuations; and/or (iii) information available regarding the current market for similar asset groups. If the fair value of the asset group is determined to be less than the carrying amount of the asset group, an impairment in the amount of the difference is recorded in the period that the impairment indicator occurs and is included in our Consolidated Statements of Operations. Estimating future cash flows requires significant judgment and projections may vary from the cash flows eventually realized, which could impact our ability to accurately assess whether an asset has been impaired. The results of our assessments are detailed in Note 9. Valuation of Goodwill Goodwill is an asset representing the future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized. We review goodwill for impairment annually during the fourth quarter and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value of goodwill may not be recoverable. When evaluating whether goodwill is impaired, we make a qualitative assessment to determine if it is more likely than not that the reporting unit's fair value is less than the carrying amount. If the qualitative assessment determines that it is more likely than not that the fair value is less than the carrying amount, the fair value of the reporting unit is compared with its carrying value (including goodwill). If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value, an indication of goodwill impairment exists for the reporting unit and we must measure the impairment loss. The impairment loss, if any, is recognized for any excess of the carrying amount of the reporting unit's goodwill over the implied fair value of the goodwill. The implied fair value of goodwill is determined by allocating the fair value of the reporting unit in a manner similar to purchase price allocation and the residual fair value after this allocation is the implied fair value of the reporting unit goodwill. Fair value of the reporting unit is determined using a discounted cash flow analysis. If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds its carrying value, no further impairment analysis is needed. For purposes of testing goodwill for impairment, we currently operate as a single reporting unit: the core Lattice ("Core") business, which includes intellectual property and semiconductor devices. In fiscal 2015 only, we separately tested goodwill for impairment in Qterics, a discrete software-as-a-service business unit that was an immaterial operating segment in the Lattice legal entity structure prior to its sale to an unrelated third party in April 2016. Although these two operating units constituted two reportable segments in fiscal 2015, we combined Qterics with our Core business and reported them together as one reportable segment due to the immaterial nature of the Qterics unit. The results of our assessments are detailed in Note 9. Leases We lease office space and classify our leases as either operating or capital lease arrangements in accordance with the criteria of ASC 840, “ Leases .” Certain of our office space operating leases contain provisions under which monthly rent escalates over time and certain leases may also contain provisions for reimbursement of a specified amount of leasehold improvements. When lease agreements contain escalating rent clauses, we recognize expense on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. When lease agreements provide allowances for leasehold improvements, we capitalize the leasehold improvement assets and amortize them on a straight-line basis over the lesser of the lease term or the estimated useful life of the asset, and reduce rent expense on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease by the amount of the asset capitalized. Restructuring Charges Expenses associated with exit or disposal activities are recognized when incurred under ASC 420, “ Exit or Disposal Cost Obligations ,” for everything but severance. Because the Company has a history of paying severance benefits, the cost of severance benefits associated with a restructuring plan is recorded when such costs are probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated in accordance with ASC 712, “ Compensation - Nonretirement Postemployment Benefits .” When leased facilities are vacated, an amount equal to the total future lease obligations from the date of vacating the premises through the expiration of the lease, net of any future sublease income, is recorded as a part of restructuring charges. Research and Development Research and development expenses include costs for compensation and benefits, development masks, engineering wafers, depreciation, licenses, and outside engineering services. These expenditures are for the design of new products, intellectual property cores, processes, packaging, and software to support new products. Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Accounting for Income Taxes Our provision for income tax is comprised of our current tax liability and changes in deferred tax assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected tax consequences of temporary differences between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and their reported amounts in the financial statements using enacted tax rates and laws that will be in effect when the difference is expected to reverse. Valuation allowances are provided to reduce deferred tax assets to an amount that in management’s judgment is more-likely-than-not to be recoverable against future taxable income. U.S. tax reform required a deemed repatriation of foreign earnings as of December 30, 2017 and no future U.S. taxes will be due on these earnings because of enactment of a 100% dividends received deduction. Foreign earnings may be subject to withholding taxes if they are distributed and repatriated to Lattice in the United States. Our income tax calculations are based on application of the respective U.S. federal, state or foreign tax law. Our tax filings, however, are subject to audit by the relevant tax authorities. Accordingly, we recognize tax liabilities based upon our estimate of whether, and the extent to which, additional taxes will be due when such estimates are more-likely-than-not to be sustained. An uncertain income tax position will not be recognized if it has less than a 50% likelihood of being sustained. To the extent the final tax liabilities are different than the amounts originally accrued, the increases or decreases as well as any interest or penalties are recorded as income tax expense or benefit in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. In assessing the ability to realize deferred tax assets, we evaluate both positive and negative evidence that may exist and consider whether it is more-likely-than-not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those temporary differences become deductible. Any adjustment to the net deferred tax asset valuation allowance is recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the period that the adjustment is determined to be required. Stock-Based Compensati |