This is not about being able to get a cheaper USB-serial. This is about being able to build something that is difficult and being able to do it yourself. Also at the time the one I had didn't have the signals I needed to program my ESP-32.

The hard parts of this project were that it is USB and I'm using a very high density QFN module.

There are two main parts to this, The USB-serial module and the power supply. Everything is designed to be small and this board is smaller then the purchased USB-serial board that I have with one main difference. This board breaks out all serial signals. I split the signals up into two sections. The main 5 conductor connector is for programming ESP-32 devices with the second connector holding the unused signals.

I have made some minor changes to this since I built it then undid them so the parts and placement are all the same but if you print from my new design there will be minor differences in the board. The original produced here is what I'm currently using and works great and the changes are unnecessary for a working board.

Hay I like to play with board layouts it is like trying to solve a puzzle.

Part cost is cheap and if you make more then one it will actually be cheaper then buying an off then shelf one.

This is my first time doing this so if you have any problems send me a message via GitHub.