Hi ... what IDE are you using? Maybe I can help. Here is my experience using ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 which I designed successfully into a board and program it with a USB-UART interface module.
I use the Arduino IDE ver 1.8.19, and had to add in the File/Preference window, down below in "Additional Board Manager" this line:
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/espre ... index.json,
https://dl.espressif.com/dl/package_esp32_index.json .... specifically it's the github one that provides support for the ESP32-S3. Arduino IDE ver 2 doesn't support this chip (yet), so I had to revert back to ver 1.8 to get to it.
As for the USB-UART connection: I've tried successfully with interface modules with the FT232 chip and those with the CP2102 chip. The CP2102 chip is also on the ESP32-dev boards which I've used. I've used the CH340 chip only indirectly as it comes standard on the ESP32-CAM_MB (motherbord), and on the ESP32 WROOM programmer board (which may be what you're using). The boot software in the ESP expects to see the nRST line (aka the CHP_PU3 pin) to be low to put the chip in reset, then the GPIO-0 line to go low ...
while the nRST line is low .. then both to go hi eventually. A problem is that most interface circuits (e.g. those on most dev boards) have the nRST line going high just as the GPIO-0 line is going low, and boot doesn't happen. A "fix" to this is to put a capacitor on the nRST line to "slow it down from going hi", thus achieving a boot without having to push any buttons.
In my case (and this may relate to your issue), I use the FT232 chip module to drive the CHP_PU line (the nRST line) from the nRTS line of the FT232 (that's the Ready To Send line, which go low when the FT232 is "ready to send"); it is interfaced to the ESP32 via a diode with the cathode facing the FT232; the ESP32 CHP_PU pin needs a pullup of 10K, and a "keep down to ground" of 0.1uF capacitor (or higher). For the GPIO-0 line, the FT232 chip's nDTR (Data Terminal Ready - goes low when the FT232 chip is "ready"), is used, again interfacing to the ESP32 with a diode whose cathode faces the FT232 chip; a pullup of 10K is used on the GPIO-0 pin on some boards I've explored, but I find I don't need it.
Now, for my issue: I can program the S3-WROOM when I select ESP32S3 Dev Module in the Arduino IDE, but after it successfully loads, when I invoke the Serial Monitor, the nRTS and nDTR of the FT232 chip go low, effectively putting the device in reset (ARGHH!). What I found as a workaround is to select instead (after the code is loaded) the ESP32 Dev Module ... this allows the signals to stay high, and the serial monitor works fine.
I hope this helps a little, and anyone who knows more about the esptool.py software (or whatever runs the USB-UART system in serial monitor mode) can explain why the Arduino's ESP32S3 Dev Module acts strangely in Serial Monitor mode.... maybe it's a bug which needs fixing.
