Thanks to the flexibility of the transceivers, and the capability of transmitting and receiving 802.15.4 raw frames, it is relatively easy to implement networking protocols for LR-WPANs.
In the pre-IoT era, the process automation industry had been the first to adopt the 802.15.4 technology, and for a long time had been searching for a standard protocol stack to enable compatibility among devices from different manufacturers. The Zigbee protocol stack has tried to find its way to become a de-facto, industry-imposed standard for 802.15.4 networking, with noticeable success, considering the proprietary, closed-source, and the royalties applicable to its commercial use. In a parallel effort, the International ...
