The PanelMate 1500 was phased out and replaced by the PanelMate 1700. The 1500 had quality problems. The 1700 is much more robust.
The software you need is PanelMate PowerPro software. It is not free. You can order it from your local Cutler-Hammer distributor. The current software is backwards compatible with the 1500.
The PanelMate series has communications drivers for all of the major PLC brands and add-on network cards for RIO, DeviceNet, Profibus. There is a relatively new product offering for Ethernet called the PanelMate ePro.